The World of the Animi
by angel14108
Summary: Mina has only ever lived in dark, cold stone walls. All she knows is that her life is filled with pain and that she is the only one who can see animi, the depictions of people's spirits that follow them wherever they go and react like them. But what happens when she is saved? First fanfiction. And I know she seems like a Mary Sue, but stick with me till Chapter 6! It changes!
1. Chapter 1 - Life

Mina curled up on the floor, trying to protect her vital organs from the feet and hexes of the horrible people standing above her. Their animi were attacking her own animus, which was changing its form every few seconds in vain attempts to gain an advantage over the snakes, rats, barracudas, bats, weasels, and the occasional worm. A peacock, a spider, and a jaguar had also joined the battle. She did not know how she had come to be here in this dark and dismal place – she had been here for as long as she could remember.

She did know one thing, however. No one else could see their animus. Once, she had made the mistake of attempting to defend her own animus from the peacock of one of the masked people whose white-blonde hair never failed to line the edges of his mask, shrieking at him that he could do whatever he wanted to her so long as he left her animus alone. He had accused her of making things up and had beaten her horribly. His peacock anima, who only tired when he did, did the same to her own animus, which had transformed into a mongoose in an attempt to defend its innocent self. It failed miserably.

Eventually, the masked ones who called themselves Death Eaters, loyal followers of Lord Voldemort, left. They always did eventually. Mina figured they had to eat and sleep at some point, thankfully. She wasn't sure if she would have been able to survive for so long if they didn't. But given all the horrible things they had done to her over the years, she had begun to suspect that they weren't human at all. Only their animi and their mundane needs proved her wrong.

Mina had long ago stopped hoping that someone would free her from her dark, cold prison. For the first few years of torture, she had dared to hope. But she knew better now. No one knew she was done here. No one cared about her. The Death Eaters never failed to tell her so. Although she knew she couldn't trust them as far as she could throw them (and she couldn't throw them at all in the state she was in), she also knew that this was the one thing they were right about: no one knew of her existence. They could torture her for the rest of her life and no one would ever know.

Once the Death Eaters were gone, her animus, which she had fondly named Hugo, transformed into a songbird as he so often did once they left. He was a caged bird, a bird whose wings were always broken. They had long since been that way, and judging from what little of the world she had seen, Mina figured that Hugo's wings would always be broken.

Occasionally, Hugo would change into a hen – not a rooster, definitely a hen. Mina knew that it was rare for one's animus to change into something opposite its own gender, but that if something drastic happened to the person, it could happen for a time. Eventually, the person and his/her anima/animus would heal and the anima/animus would change into something of its own gender once more. Hugo had only changed into a hen twice: the first time was the first time the Death Eaters had ever visited her, and the second was the first time they raped her when she was nine.

Mina had always been able to keep track of her age. The Death Eaters had made a point of telling her from the beginning that each line cut on her otherwise unblemished nape symbolized one year. There were now eleven cuts. Mina was eleven years old.

The Death Eaters had also made a point of telling her that other witches like her usually received a letter inviting them to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry at about this age. Mina figured she probably wouldn't get one and that even if she did, the Death Eaters would probably just burn it, most likely in front of her just to taunt her.

She was right. The first letter came soon after her eleventh birthday sometime in June. The Death Eaters burned it in front of her and laughed, telling her she would never see the light of day again. For the first time since she had first been raped, tears had stung her eyes. But she refused to let them fall. She knew that to show weakness in front of the Death Eaters was to earn more pain. Hugo had done the same, not willing to show the other animi the weakness of himself and his human.

It had been two weeks since she had received the first letter. The Death Eaters made a point of telling her "carpe diem" or "seize the day" sometimes when they joined her. She figured this meant another day had begun and that other times when they arrived but said nothing, just proceeded to use their instruments of pain upon her, the day had not yet ended. She had counted the "carpe diem"s from the first letter. There had been exactly fourteen.

The Death Eaters had been angry since the first letter. Destroying the letters did them no good – the letters just kept coming. More and more poured in every day, making Mina's days worse and worse. She hoped the letters would stop soon. Maybe then the Death Eaters would return to their former selves. They hadn't been pleasant then, but they sure weren't any more pleasant now.

They had come nine times already since the last carpe diem, not including the time they had greeted her with the now abhorred phrase. They showed her the heaping piles of letters and destroyed them as usual, then began unleashing their anger upon her. She hoped they would stop now. Surely the day was almost done? Surely they were getting tired?

The door opened again and she guessed not. She curled in upon herself to help protect herself, knowing it wouldn't be of much use. Hugo transformed into a mongoose as he often did when the Death Eaters initially arrived. Sometimes his form would change into something else, usually a bear of some sort among other things (_**these will be shown later**_). But it was usually the mongoose.

Mina had always wondered why Hugo changed form so frequently. No one else's did so. Others' animi only changed with life-changing events, such as falling in love or the death of someone that person was particularly close to. None of the others changed so often. She thought it had something to do with her ability to adapt to survive (she had certainly adapted to this), leading her to wonder why Hugo wasn't a chameleon before realizing that she didn't blend in. She simply adapted. So why not a hyena? Or a kangaroo? Panda animi were also known for their adaptability, as were starlings, flies, bush babies, muskrats, Asian whistling dogs, shrimp, cuckoos, and vervet monkeys.

Why did Hugo shift?

Mina was wrenched out of her pondering as she began to tremble with the sound of footsteps. So did Hugo, who also hissed.

But when she looked up, the people above her were not wearing masks. And she had never seen animi like theirs before.


	2. Chapter 2 - Rescue

**A/N: Here's a longer chapter. It explains a little of who Mina is, though she doesn't know any of this, and won't for a while. Sorry if the first part's super boring – this is just a whole lot of fluff that needs to be said in order for it to make sense why Severus, McGonagall, and Dumbledore know so much about Mina that she doesn't even know about herself. Again, this is my first fanfiction that I'm posting, so please don't hurt me! **** Also, I rated this M for future chapters and some content that is suggested. So far, it could probably be considered T. But M just to be safe!**

**Severus Snape: Shut up, you idiot, you're rambling. Just type the chapter already. **

Severus Snape was not happy. He had no idea why he was being summoned at such a late hour (technically an early one – it was one o'clock in the morning) by Dumbledore, but he hoped it was for a good reason, because if it wasn't the old coot was going to receive the rough edge of his tongue.

For the first time in months, Severus had been sleeping without nightmares and without a Dreamless Sleep potion. Usually, if he wanted any sort of sleep not haunted by the horrible visions of Death Eater meetings and Lily's corpse, he had to drink the draught, which he knew could be potentially harmful if consumed too often. It wasn't addictive, but if he were to drink it every night, he might not wake up again.

So, once a week, he allowed himself the luxury of drinking the potion. Tonight hadn't been one of those nights, and yet he had been sleeping peacefully, dreaming of a time when he and Lily had been walking beside the lake at Hogwarts, discussing a new potion they were working on together. It had been quite the pleasant dream, one of the best he had ever had.

Naturally, Dumbledore had to interrupt his peaceful slumber and summon him to his office at _one o'clock_ _in the morning. _

After waking himself with a splash of cold water to the face and throwing on his black robes, Severus stalked out of his bedroom and into his small sitting room whose walls were stalked floor to ceiling with books and Flooed to Dumbledore's office. In it, he found Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts and head of Gryffindor House, already present and seated. She too did not look happy and had a mug of coffee clutched between her hands, something he knew she rarely indulged in unless she was exhausted.

_Sending out letters must have really tired her_, he thought to himself. _But why does Albus need us both? _

"You summoned me, Headmaster?" he said, dropping himself into a chair without bothering to wait for Dumbledore to invite him to do so.

Dumbledore nodded. "Minerva has been sending out dozens upon dozens of letters to one Mina Evans. None of them have even been opened and when she Summoned one of them back, the pre-printed address read The Cellar, Lestrange Manor."

Severus felt all the blood drain from his face. He remembered the countless times he had been summoned to Lestrange Manor as a Death Eater and the countless tortures he had witnessed in its cellar. Many of his nightmares took place in that God-forsaken place and he knew that if Ms. Mina Evans was being kept there, her existence was not pleasant.

"How long has she been there?" he asked tersely.

"We don't know," Minerva replied, draining her mug and setting it on Albus' desk. "But we need to retrieve her before things get too out of hand."

"Do we even know if she's still alive?" Severus asked Albus. Again, the Headmaster nodded.

"She's alive; if she wasn't, the letters simply wouldn't have sent."

Severus sighed. He pitied Mina Evans. Oh, how he –

"Wait a minute. Mina _Evans?_"

"Yes, Severus," said Minerva. "Mina is the illegitimate child of Lily Evans."

Snape felt the muscles around his jaws go limp and his mouth opened wide. "What? Impossible," he sneered. "Lily may have had an arrogant brat for a husband, but she was in love with him as far as I could tell. She would not have cheated on him."

"That's just it," said Minerva. "We don't think she did cheat on James. We believe that she was raped."

"And what gives you that impression?"

"We don't know of anyone who would consent with Fenrir Greyback." Albus looked over his half-moon spectacles at Snape, who was now sure that due to his lack of sleep and the startling revelations he would pass into the abyss of unconsciousness.

"And no one ever mentioned this before, why?" he asked from behind his teeth, his knuckles white against the arm of the chair he was sitting in.

"Everyone thought it unimportant. Lily made it sound as though Mina had died soon after her own birth. Clearly, that is not the case."

Severus took several deep breaths, forcing himself to relax. What had been done to Lily was far in the past and there was nothing he could do to change it. All he could do was accept it. Slowly, he listed the twelve uses of dragon's blood and the sixteen uses of unicorn tail to bring his mind to a more manageable level. "How do we know this is the same Mina Evans? Evans isn't an unpopular surname and there could be another Mina out there. And why would we be sending letters to someone who's dead?"

"We wondered the same thing. For whatever reason, the automatic quills were scratching her name away. The letter we retrieved came back stained with blood. We tested it with a Parental Potion to see who the parents were, hoping it was Mina's blood, and lo and behold, it revealed Lily Evans and Fenrir Greyback."

Severus cursed in several languages in his head, then forced himself to count to sixty in Latin backwards starting from one hundred. Once he was calm again and not likely to explode Albus' entire office, he asked, "Then what are we waiting for?"

Two pairs of eyes widened. "You actually believe us?" Albus asked.

"No," said Severus through his teeth. "I don't believe I have enough evidence from you to prove that this Mina is indeed Lily's child. But it is certain that this Mina Evans, regardless of her parentage, is currently residing in the cellar of Lestrange Manor, and she needs to be removed. Now. So regardless of who she is, I intend to make sure she no longer suffers."

Abruptly, all three of them stood at the same time and strode quickly out of the Headmaster's office, heading for the gates of Hogwarts where Albus and Minerva promptly grabbed hold of Severus, who Apparated them away to Lestrange Manor.

***Page Break***

The sight that greeted Severus was a familiar one. Lestrange Manor was even larger than Malfoy Manor, the Lestrange's wealth going back much farther than that of the Malfoys, though not quite as far as the Blacks, who could trace their lineage back to Merlin, whereas the other two could merely trace their lineage back to the Blacks.

As far as Severus knew, the Manor had long since been unoccupied since Bellatrix and her husband had been imprisoned for their torture of Frank and Alice Longbottom. But since he knew there was at least one new occupant in the cellar, he cast a quick _Homenum Revelio _to make sure there were no other occupants. Apparently, Mina's assailants had left for the day, which made sense, given the hour, and she was the only one currently within the manor.

Snape confidently strode up to the wrought iron gates and tapped them with his wand, concentrating on the password in his mind, hoping it hadn't been changed. He sighed in relief when they opened before him. Apparently the Death Eaters welcomed any other Death Eaters who wanted to join in the 'fun' and didn't believe anyone disloyal to their cause had the password.

With Minerva and Albus on his heels, he surged forward into the maze-like garden preceding the manor itself and navigated it with absolutely no difficulties. The manor itself was just as winding and difficult to comprehend, but he navigated that easily as well. He only knew the way to the cellar, but thankfully that was exactly where he needed to go. After descending a final flight of stairs, he hesitated in front of the door, his hand hovering over the handle. What would he see on the other side of this door? What had already been done to the poor girl he knew lay on the other side? Depending on how long she had been there, the possibilities were endless.

"You won't like what you see on the other side of this door – that much I can guarantee," he muttered to his companions. They nodded and, steeling himself for the worst, he opened the door. He thought he heard the slight rustle of fabric against stone, giving him a glimmer of hope that she might still be capable of some form of movement, but the cellar before him was pitch-black, so he had no idea what she looked like or whether she actually could move.

"_Lumos_," he whispered. Behind him, he heard the other two. The combined light of all three wands bathed the cellar in light and the sight that greeted them caused all three to nearly regurgitate their last three meals. Severus even heard Minerva gag.

Before them lay a tiny, emaciated girl clothed in rags that had been too small for her two years ago even given her miniscule stature. She was curled into the fetal position, indicating her expectation to be hurt, Severus noted, and she was blinking against the light of their wands, which wasn't all that bright, speaking to her lack of exposure to illumination. Perhaps most disconcerting, however, was the fact that she was quite literally covered in blood, some dried, some fresh, and she was lying in a pool of it. The room stank of not only blood, but also the small amount of waste the girl generated that she had nowhere better to place. Glimpses of that could also be seen throughout the room and near the girl herself. Glimpses of bone could also be seen on the girl, and not just the outlines, but the bones themselves. The Death Eaters had quite literally shaved down the layers of her skin and muscle so much that her bones were very much visible.

Severus froze, however, for more than just those reasons. The girl looked exactly like Lily had when she was eleven. And the image of Lily Evans covered in blood and looking at him with a look of horror and terror was not one that sat comfortably with Severus Snape.

Albus was the first to recover. He strode forward a few steps, but when the girl cowered and attempted to push herself away from him with her clearly broken legs and arms, he stopped, raising his arms in a placating gesture. "It's alright," he murmured softly, gently. "We won't hurt you. We want to help you. We want to get you out of here."

Mina didn't look like she believed him.

Cautiously, Severus and Minerva began to move around her to her other sides. She tried to keep them in her sights at all times, but eventually that failed and she let her head rest back in its original position, facing Dumbledore. Together, Minerva and Severus cast a silent _Mobilicorpus_ that lifted Mina a few inches off the ground. The combined force of the two ensured that, should one of them be distracted by a stray Death Eater, Mina would not have to suffer being dropped on the ground so one of them could duel. Severus knew the likelihood of one of the Death Eaters returning before dawn was slim, but he wasn't taking any chances, and clearly, neither was Minerva.

As Albus continued to attempt to soothe Mina, who looked as though she might have a panic attack if she had the energy and strength to do so, Minerva and Severus pointed their wands in the same direction and carefully guided Mina's body out the door and into the manor. Mina looked in fear at everything she saw, clearly unfamiliar with everything she saw. Severus began to wonder if Mina could remember anything except that cellar. Judging from her facial expressions, he guessed not.

Once they were once again outside the Anti-Apparition Wards, Severus and Minerva exchanged looks. Both were thinking the same thing: it was too dangerous to Apparate with Mina in such a state. She was already so physically damaged that to Apparate with her could potentially worsen her injuries. Apparating wouldn't do her mental state any favors either; the sensation of being squeezed so tight she couldn't breathe would probably bring back horrible memories, and even if it didn't, it would certainly make her more uncomfortable around the three of them, which was the last thing they needed. She was already clearly untrusting of them; they needed to improve her trust as much as possible.

All this was conveyed from the two of them to Albus in one look and he quickly conjured up three brooms, once again frightening Mina. Severus believed she was terrified of everything, especially if it had to do with magic. Carefully as they could, so as not to jostle Mina too much, Minerva and Severus mounted brooms and pushed off, hovering above the ground, keeping Mina hovering between them. Albus cast them a quick glance from ahead, then soared off into the night. Severus and Minerva followed close behind, each keeping one eye on the man in front of them, the one who actually knew where he was going, and the other eye on Mina, making sure she was in no danger of falling, something she seemed terrified of experiencing. Occasionally, Severus would glance behind them to make sure no Death Eaters were following. He didn't expect to see any, but he would rather be safe than sorry.

_What has happened to this poor girl to drive her to such a state?_ thought Severus. _Clearly, whoever participated in her torture took several ideas from Bellatrix's book; I haven't seen anyone this bad except coming from her. _

After several hours, the four of them sailed easily through the wards of Hogwarts, which quite willingly accepted the injured girl and her saviors, welcoming them into the safety of her grounds. They flew directly into the hospital wing, whose windows were all flung wide open, and Severus and Minerva carefully deposited Mina in a bed. Minerva and Albus promptly rushed off to find Madame Poppy Pomfrey, the resident Healer that they had warned to be ready for her arrival in case the worst should be discovered.

The worst had been discovered.

Severus was the only one left with the girl now. Somehow, he figured that was a good thing. She needed something stable and consistent that wasn't painful and worthy of fear. However, the girl's recent experiences had been too taxing despite their best efforts, and he noticed this.

"Relax," he whispered. "You're safe now."

She promptly lost consciousness.

***Page Break***

Mina timidly looked up at the newcomers. She could distinguish the outlines of two men and a woman, one man much taller than his two companions. Next to them, their animi hovered, eyeing her and Hugo with concern. The tallest man's anima was a beautiful phoenix, his red plumage bright to Mina's eyes that were long-since used to the dark colors of her prison, her assailants, and their animi. The woman's animus was a tabby tomcat with eyeglass markings around his eyes that vaguely reminded Mina of a raccoon. The final man's anima was a young doe, her white spots standing out stark against her brown fur.

Abruptly, their wands lit up and Mina squeezed her eyes shut. Never before had she seen such bright lights. The Death Eaters rarely bothered to create any source of light and when they did, it was always in the form of dim torches. Clearly, her torturers were much more used to the dimness than these newcomers. Somehow, that fit perfectly in Mina's mind.

Eventually, her eyes recovered and she opened them to see expressions of what she assumed was shock on the faces of the newcomers. Their animi looked the same way and Hugo nervously cowered next to her, though his mongoose nose was somewhat extended toward them, sniffing experimentally with curiosity. If she hadn't been so worried about what these people would do to her, Mina might have smiled at how well Hugo reflected her inner thoughts and emotions, not only in his various, ever-changing forms but also in his actions.

The first to recover from his shock was the tall wizard and his phoenix anima. They stepped forward and Mina and Hugo cowered as best they could with so much pain coursing through their bodies. The tall wizard seemed to notice this and abruptly stopped, as did the phoenix, landing lightly on her wizard's shoulder. "It's alright," he murmured softly, gently. "We won't hurt you. We want to help you. We want to get you out of here." But no matter how kindly he said his words, no matter how soft his expression was, Mina could not bring herself to believe him.

The tall wizard's companions began moving around Mina cautiously, as though afraid she might explode. She tried to follow their movements, not comfortable in the slightest with having them out of her line of sight, but eventually her muscles and bones screamed in protest too much and she was forced to drop her head back toward the tall wizard. She was surprised to see that all three of the new animi had cautiously approached Hugo and were attempting to console him. He was cowering between the three of them, but none of them were acting aggressively toward him at all. In fact, they were all quite calm and seemed as though they were trying not to scare him too much. The phoenix had her wings tucked in to her sides and was settled on the ground as though nesting, her head bowed as though she was being submissive. The cat was much the same way, lying down facing Hugo with his paws tucked beneath him and his long tail wrapped about him. The doe, the largest of the three and therefore the most intimidating, settled down in front of Hugo, right in his line of sight where she knew he wanted her, and rolled over, looking at him with large, brown eyes.

Mina supposed that the careful actions and submissive poses of their animi reflected the newcomers' feelings, attempting to make sure they didn't startle her in any way. Perhaps she could trust these people. Their animi, after all, were incapable of performing any actions contradictory to what their humans were truly feeling and/or truly doing (they reflected whichever was stronger). But since the animi could be reflecting the newcomers' true _actions_ rather than their true _feelings_, Mina decided that it was best not to give them her trust just yet, despite how much she wanted to.

Hugo, on the other hand, was demonstrating just how much he wanted to trust these newcomers. He had risen out of his cowering position and had now taken the form of a raccoon cautiously sniffing at each of the other animi in turn. Eventually, he settled back down in the middle again, still wary of the two animas and the animus in front of him, but less defensive now.

She would have screamed if her throat wasn't so sore as she felt herself levitating off the ground. Hugo started as well and looked around him in confusion. The other three animi slowly rose around him, attempting not to startle him. The phoenix eventually dared to come forward and preen Hugo's raccoon fur as her human began to attempt to soothe Mina, and Hugo's fur promptly turned into spoonbill feathers. The spoonbill snapped at the phoenix, but when the phoenix merely continued to nibble affectionately at the spoonbill's feathers, the bird relaxed somewhat and turned into a mouse which, thankfully, the tom cat did not attack or chase. The phoenix did not seem to care about the sudden change in Hugo's form, but continued to preen the fur of the young animus, ridding his fur of the blood and waste that had built up there after so many years.

Mina was now even more convinced she could trust these newcomers. Perhaps they truly were there to help her. Perhaps they would not hurt her. Perhaps they would take her out of this horrible place and give her somewhere better to stay.

But a small voice in the back of her mind declared otherwise. _Why would someone offer someone like you a place to stay? A lying, good-for-nothing freak doesn't deserve a better place to stay, remember? There's a reason the Death Eaters brought you here: you're a menace to society, and you need to be kept off the streets and in check. _

With the seedling of doubt still in her mind, Mina looked fearfully at the newcomers, wondering where they were taking her. Were they taking her to somewhere with more security? Had she done something wrong? That sense of doubt only grew as she was levitated out the door, Hugo at her side with the other animi, and led into a large hall full of objects she had never seen before. Were they harmful? Would they do anything to her? Were they some sort of new device designed to ensure she was even more limited? They looked like something she would fit into…would they imprison her in one of them now?

But they continued to walk past every single contraption that Mina looked at with such fear. As soon as they had emerged from the stairwell, Hugo had turned into a spoonbill once again, wary of everything around him. The phoenix continued to preen him, again not noticing his shifting form. Mina began to wonder if she could even tell. She found it more likely that the phoenix simply didn't care.

Eventually, Mina was led into a completely different environment. The air was much lighter in this new area and the ceiling was much higher. Judging from the thoughts she had heard over the years and the surface thoughts she scraped at from the newcomers, she was now outside. Mina thought about delving deeper into their thoughts, but she knew she simply didn't have enough energy to do so.

Strangely, she could not access the mind of the man with the doe anima, not even his surface thoughts.

After a long time of walking, they arrived outside a set of gates and the tall wizard conjured three broomsticks out of thin air, startling Mina once more. Hugo changed from spoonbill to polar bear, snarling at the new appearances. Now the tomcat came up to rub against his lower legs, soothing him somewhat, and eventually Hugo reverted to spoonbill once again, still defensive but less of an aggressive defensive.

Oddly, Mina noticed, the doe did not approach Hugo. She did not attempt to hurt him and she looked as though she wanted to help, but she seemingly had no idea how to go about it. Mina figured the doe was simply worried she would step on Hugo or otherwise startle him and that she was simply being wary of the young animus, knowing he was likely to lash out at her if he felt threatened.

The three newcomers boarded their brooms and Mina was left hovering between the woman and the shorter man. They levitated into the air somewhat, seeming to pause for something, then took off. The animi floated a little below the humans, the phoenix still preening the spoonbill and the tomcat still rubbing up against his legs, purring quite loudly. The doe trailed a little behind, glancing behind her every once and a while as though checking to make sure they were not followed.

Mina could not help but glance down in fear. What if the newcomers had retrieved her simply to drop her from this magnificent height? What if they did drop her? Would she survive? She found herself hoping she wouldn't. If it meant she could escape the pain, she would rather die.

But after a while, Mina began to realize that the newcomers had no intentions of dropping her. In fact, they were taking certain precautions to make sure she wasn't dropped. They always kept one eye on her and one eye on the tall wizard, who now appeared to be the leader.

After what seemed like quite a long time to Mina, a castle came into view. She couldn't help but feel a twinge of fear at the sight of it. It was rather large and imposing and she had no idea what was inside. More torture devices? More people to keep her in line? Maybe she had done something wrong.

But another voice whispered that perhaps the castle was simply rather spacious and she would have a lot of room to roam. Perhaps the castle could be a source of freedom.

She promptly squashed this voice. She did not want to get her hopes up only to have them come crashing down around her. Disappointment was the last thing she needed.

The newcomers sailed her over the gates surrounding the castle and flew straight for a wide-open window surrounded on either side by many other wide-open windows. They landed upon the floor of a white room, carefully levitating Mina into what she recognized as a bed. She had never seen one in living memory and she had certainly never been on one before. Hugo settled on the floor next to her with the other animi, who were still comforting him. Ironically enough, the phoenix had continued preening the spoonbill even when the tall wizard had stopped muttering soothing words to Mina.

The most recent new experiences of Mina's life had taken too much out of her, she realized. As she landed upon the bed, she felt her eyes grow heavy and distantly saw through a long black tunnel the tall wizard and the woman run off in the same direction, their animi disappearing with them. But the other man stayed behind and his anima finally approached Hugo, settling down around him and allowing him to lean into her.

Faintly, Mina heard the man whisper something. "Relax. You're safe now." Then the darkness took over her vision and she lost consciousness.

**A/N: Please review! Since this is my first posted fanfiction, I really want to know what the readers think and if you review, I know I have readers. Even if you hated the story, I'd like to know. It'll at least make me feel better that someone read it. **

**Severus: Shut up. You're ruining it. **

**Me: *cricket, cricket***

**Severus: Much better. **


	3. Chapter 3 - Heal

**A/N: Sorry if this chapter is rather boring, but some of this stuff needed to be said in order for the rest of the story to make sense. Hopefully next chapter will be more interesting. **

Severus stared at the young girl before him. Never before had he ever seen a victim of the Death Eaters fall so far. It was a bloody miracle she was still alive, in his opinion, even taking into account the fact that she was a witch. Clearly, she was a damn powerful one, too.

Mina Evans was clearly someone to be contended with.

While Albus and Minerva rushed off to find Poppy, he began some simple Diagnostic Charms that would tell them the extent of the damage and a few various cleaning spells to reveal where the injuries truly were rather than where all the blood had ended up. Unfortunately, the various cleaning spells did little to help. The sheer number of injuries covering Mina's body was astounding, so when Severus removed the excess blood, it was revealed that much of the blood was not, in point of fact, excess, but rather that of the wounds themselves.

Not entirely sure he wanted to see it, Severus looked at the Diagnostic Sheet next to him. The quill was still scratching away in his cramped script and the sheet was already longer than his entire arm, making a cold iron fist clamp around his insides. He hoped that most of them were psychological injuries – too many physical injuries would make her difficult to treat as many spells and potions did not work in conjunction with each other.

First on the list were the alterations in her anatomy and genetic make-up. Most people didn't have many of these, if any at all, but they often revealed allergies and special abilities, such as the Sight and the ability to see auras. Severus was astounded to see that Mina's list of alterations was rather long.

_Must have a lot of allergies, _he thought as he began to read.

He quickly realized that he was wrong.

_Alterations of Anatomy:_

_Minor sulfa allergy_

_Eye of Merlin_

_Wolfchild_

_Animi Speaker_

_Beast Tongue_

_Seer (the Sight and Second Sight)_

_Elementide_

_True ShapeShifter_

_Summoner_

_What the hell?_ thought Severus. _This doesn't make any sense! What's the difference between the Sight and Second Sight? What in Merlin's name is an animi speaker? And whoever heard of a Summoner? _

The rest, however, Severus had heard of. Merlin was said to have only taken those who could cast magic without some sort of channeling device (staff, wand, etc.) as apprentices. They were called Merlinians. Eyes of Merlin were said to not only be able to cast magic without channeling devices, but also to be gifted with natural Legilimency that could not be protected against and what they called World Vision, which apparently allowed them to not only see the future, but also the past and certain parts of the present.

Wolfchildren were children of werewolves. He had been expecting this, but it still came as somewhat of a shock that a wolfchild was lying in front of him, bloodied and unconscious. They were said to be ferocious fighters, like their parents, but unlike their sires, they only fought when threatened. They retained their minds when they transformed and their wolf states were less grotesque than that of their parents; rather, it was more like an oversized wolf. They were forced to change on the full moon, but were also capable of shifting at other times as well, though it was rather taxing. Surprisingly enough, werewolf venom was poisonous to the wolfchildren.

Beast Tongues were able to communicate with any animal in their own language, including that of other humans. They were simply able to naturally flow into that language once they heard it and were perfectly able to hold a conversation with any being, including plants. For quite some time, they were persecuted not only by the Muggles, but also by other witches and wizards for their bizarre ability, which they quickly learned to hide, but they were now able to step forward for what they truly were without facing prosecution. However, many pureblooded families were still quick to assume that Beast Tongues were as ghastly as the worst of the beings they spoke with, something Severus figured he would have to warn Mina about.

Occasionally, someone would come along with the ability to control a particular element without having to use a wand to do so. For instance, a Fire Elemental could control fire simply by thinking about it. They were, however, perfectly capable of losing control of what they summoned and had to be taught early on how to control their gifts. There were five types of Elementals: Fire, Water, Air, Earth, and Energy. Energy Elementals were the rarest and could summon bolts of pure energy, much like lightning. However, they were also quickest to tire out of the five. Even rarer than all the Elementals, however, were the Elementides, who could supposedly control any and all the elements, and had a decent amount of stamina, too. Severus wasn't so sure about the stamina bit, but he had never met an Elementide and so he really had no idea. He was curious to see.

True ShapeShifters were similar to animagi in the sense that they could change their form into an animal. True ShapeShifters, however, were capable of changing into any animal they could think of, and they were simply born with the ability whereas animagi had to go through a long and intense process to find their inner animal and become an animagus. True ShapeShifters usually did not occur in the same bodies as Beast Tongues, and the last time a True ShapeShifter had also been a Beast Tongue…it hadn't ended well.

Summoner was perhaps the darkest thing on the list of Mina's alterations. Summoners were rumored to be quite like Necromancers except for the fact that they were incapable of calling back the bodies of the deceased. Rather, they retrieved the souls of the dead from down the Grey Road to speak with them. Nothing about Summoners had ever been officially documented, but many feared them for what they were. Anything that could call back the dead was rather frightening. But Severus believed that not all Summoners were dark. Rather, he believed that they could be potentially helpful, especially in court. If one was murdered, it would be simple for a Summoner to Summon the deceased and inquire as to who the killer was.

Poppy, Minerva, and Albus returned and he quickly read through the rest of the sheet.

_Physical Injuries:_

_Multiple lacerations to back, legs, and rear (most likely belt or switch)_

_Multiple stab wounds to arms, back, legs, chest, and stomach_

_Collapsed lung_

_Four concussions_

_Two broken femurs_

_Two broken tibias_

_Broken left fibula_

_Shattered right metacarpals_

_Shattered nasal bone_

_Broken right clavicle_

_Eight broken ribs_

_Broken left humerus_

_Three broken vertebrae_

_Two broken ulnas_

_Broken right radius_

_Broken pelvis_

_Shattered right patella_

_Shattered left metatarsals_

_Third degree burns on back_

_Second degree burns on legs and face_

_First degree burns on arms and chest_

_Evidence of starvation_

_Evidence of dehydration_

_Evidence of rape_

_Evidence of sexual assault_

_Evidence of asphyxiation (bruising to larynx)_

_Evidence of electrocution_

_Two missing toes (severed)_

_Bruises covering entire body_

_Nerve damage from various sources, including hanging by limbs and Cruciatus Curse_

_Evidence of consumption of potassium hydroxide and inhalation of ammonia, though treatment was provided prior to death_

_Internal bleeding_

_Psychological Injuries:_

_Posttraumatic stress disorder_

_Evidence of mock executions_

_Hyperarousal_

_Depression_

_Damaged self-concept_

_Foreshortened future_

_Sexual dysfunction_

_Psychosis_

"Merlin," Severus whispered.

"What?" Poppy asked. She reached for the diagnostic sheet and Severus handed it to her.

"She'll be lucky to survive the night," he told her. He summoned several potions and gently poured them down Mina's throat, massaging it gently to get the potions down, hyperaware that her larynx was already bruised. The potions he had administered would not come in conflict with each other and dealt with the worst of the injuries, including a Pain Potion, a Lung Stabilizer, a Contraceptive Concoction, a Nutritive Potion, and a Blood Thickener that would hopefully stop the immediate bleeding, both external and internal. He also shoved a bezoar down her throat to counteract the various poisons, all of which were, thankfully, rather simple and quickly began casting some basic healing spells he knew in an attempt to remedy most of the broken bones, namely the vertebrae and pelvis. Poppy gasped beside him as she finished reading the Diagnostic Sheet and quickly moved to stand across from Severus, glancing at the potions he'd already administered and recognizing the spells he was casting. She began to work on Mina's various burns, applying a heavy-duty burn salve to her back with magic and carefully rubbing in a less potent salve on her face, arms, and legs. Minerva and Albus quickly took control of the Diagnostic Sheet, thoroughly interested in what had Severus and Poppy so desperate. By the time they were done reading through it, Poppy and Severus had addressed the worst of the injuries and had really done all they could without administering potions and casting spells that would come in conflict with each other. Exhausted, they both conjured chairs and settled down in them, keeping their eyes on Mina.

"Will she make it?" Minerva asked after a long silence. There was another long silence.

"I don't know," Poppy whispered. "I just don't know."

"She's lasted this long," said Albus optimistically. "She can last."

"That's what you think," Severus hissed through his teeth. "But these injuries, both physical and psychological, are horrible. Who knows what the Death Eaters were telling her to justify their actions? She may very well believe that she is a monster. She may very well believe that what was done to her was right. She may very well believe that she will be hurt because we're attempting to help her. She may very well have lost the will to even live, Albus. And if she has, she won't last till morning."

"So she has to make it till morning?" Minerva asked after another awkward silence. Poppy nodded stiffly and the silence began to stifle them once more.

Eventually, it became too awkward for Albus and he retreated to his office. Minerva followed soon after to make sure he didn't do anything stupid like report this to the Ministry of Magic. Poppy stayed, but the amount of magic she had performed had been rather drastic and she eventually fell into a deep slumber. Only Severus retained consciousness. He wanted to be there when she awoke, and he had no idea when that was going to be, but he was going to be there. He had to be there. He would have been there for Lily.

Now he needed to be there for Mina.

**A/N: Sorry if this chapter was horrible. For anyone who's wondering, sulfa allergies are actually quite common; about half the population of the world is allergic to sulfa, a common ingredient in various drugs, especially those used to treat UTI's. I myself discovered at the beginning of the school year that I am allergic to sulfa, though it's not a severe allergy (thank God, otherwise I'd probably be dead; the doctor decided to give me a sulfa drug). Anyway, review please! **


	4. Chapter 4 - Nightmares

**A/N: Here's a nice long chapter. Yes, what follows after the page break is the same portion of the plot as what is before it, but the second time around it's from Mina's view. I felt the second portion was very necessary because it reveals something about her. Enjoy. **

Severus didn't even realize he had fallen asleep until he snapped awake. He had always been a light sleeper, his hyperactive senses not shutting down in the slightest when he fell asleep. His senses had always been helpful when he was acting as Dumbledore's spy; he could always tell when someone was watching him and he had to put up a good act and when they weren't and he could perform things half-heartedly.

He sat bolt upright in the chair, his hand immediately going for the wand in his pocket. But he quickly realized his sleep had only been disturbed by Mina, who was tossing and turning on the bed beside him. Not sure how severe the nightmare as, he hesitated to wake her.

All his hesitation faded as she started to scream.

"Mina!" he said. He leaned forward and placed his hand on her shoulder, shaking it slightly. Her right arm shot out and shoved it away, then her left arm came up above her face, protecting it. He placed his hand on her shoulder and shook her again, more forcefully this time. "Mina, wake up!"

She sat bolt upright in bed and the shrieking stopped quite abruptly. The panting, however, did not. She was still breathing heavily and her eyes were wide. Clearly, she was still terrified. Gently, he squeezed her shoulder, attempting to reassure her, but again she lashed out with her right arm, shoving his hand away, then raising her left arm in a defensive maneuver. This time, he left his arm down by his side and said, "That's twice now you've done that." She peeked out at him from behind her arm and a flicker of recognition danced in her eyes. "I'm not going to hurt you. I rescued you, remember?" Slowly, she lowered her arm and gave a short nod. He leaned back a little in his chair and watched as she studied herself in awe. He figured she hadn't felt such painlessness in quite a long time. Eventually, she looked up at him, a question evident in her eyes. Hoping he was interpreting her correctly, he said, "Yes, I healed you, as did a woman named Poppy Pomfrey." He gestured to the woman sleeping in a chair on her other side who, surprisingly, had not woken at the sounds of her nightmare. "She is the resident Healer here at Hogwarts. And so that you have it for future reference, my name is Severus Snape. I'm the resident Potions Master here at Hogwarts; I also teach potions here and I am the head of Slytherin House." She nodded stiffly. She could tell something he had said had disconcerted her, though he was unsure what. Perhaps she was uncomfortable with potions? Or was she worried about what Poppy would do if she woke up? She certainly couldn't know anything about the majority of Death Eaters coming from Slytherin House, could she?

But then he remembered that she could read minds by looking people in the eye and realized that yes, she probably did know most Death Eaters came from Slytherin House at Hogwarts.

He sighed and she turned toward him. "I suppose you don't want to talk about what you were dreaming about?" he asked. The color drained from her face and her eyes widened again, her breathing becoming shorter. Hoping to calm her, he raised his hands in defeat. "It's fine if you don't want to talk about it just yet," Snape said, "but know that it will help to talk about what happened. It will take a load off your chest." Her breathing began to slow a little and her eyes relaxed, though they were still wider than normal and her breathing rate hadn't hit normal since she had started having the nightmare. She nodded her understanding.

Suddenly, her gaze flew to the floor in front of her side table. Figuring she must have imagined something there, he watched her gaze at it intently for a few moments. But eventually, a few moments turned into a few minutes and he realized she must actually be seeing something there. But what could she possibly be seeing that would intrigue her so?

"What are you looking at?" Snape asked. She jumped again and looked at him, fear in her eyes again. "You can tell me. Whatever it is, I'm sure I'll understand." She hesitated for a few moments, clearly having an internal battle with herself about whether or not it was advisable to trust him. He was content to wait, knowing that if he forced her to tell him, she would likely have a flashback and never trust him, which was exactly what he was trying to avoid. So he waited until she stretched out her hand, then slowly, calmly took it, making sure not to startle her as though she was some sort of dangerous animal, which, in a sense, she was.

Severus felt something change and he looked up. His eyes widened when he saw Poppy. Perched on her shoulder was a kestrel, its head tucked beneath its wing in sleep. He could have sworn a moment ago that there was nothing there, too. Shocked, he continued to stare at the pair and eventually realized that the bird was semi-transparent and that this was likely what Mina had seen. But Mina had been looking at the floor in front of her side table, not at Poppy.

As if on cue, she directed his attention to the same spot and he stiffened at the sight.

Lying in front of the side table was a beautiful doe with a young male fawn curled up against her side. The doe appeared to be soothing the fawn, making soft noises and resting her head upon his back. But perhaps what was most disconcerting was the fact that the doe looked almost exactly like his Patronus, save for the fact that it was not a silver mist, but rather a full-color, semi-transparent animal. He quickly recovered, however, and relaxed, knowing that his tension could potentially rub off on Mina, who might interpret it as anger. But he was still somewhat disconcerted by the doe because she was so like his Patronus.

After all, his Patronus represented Lily.

After a few moments, Mina released Snape's hand and his vision returned to normal. He looked at her in awe and disbelief. She shrunk back into her pillows, and, realizing that she probably couldn't read his expression (it was something he had perfected as a spy), he shook his head to clear it and looked at her again, the corners of his mouth playing upward a little. Surprisingly, she cowered a little more. When Severus raised his hand, she shut her eyes and grimaced as though expecting a blow to fall. But he merely gently placed his hand on her own. She opened her eyes and stared at their hands, blinking disbelievingly. She looked up at him as he spoke. "You are an amazing young girl," he said, "and don't you ever forget it." She blinked at him a few times.

Eventually, he withdrew his hand and pulled out his wand. Mina cowered again at the sight of it, but Severus chose not to comment on the action.

"Now then," he said, "judging from your stick-like frame, I'd say you haven't been fed properly. I take it you would like some food?" She simply looked at him in shock for what seemed like the umpteenth time and Severus quickly realized that she was not misinterpreting his dry humor as a threat but rather she was shocked that he was offering her food. Clearly, it had been quite a while since someone had offered her food and judging from their past actions, the Death Eaters had probably yelled at her for taking too much even though all she had eaten was a heel of bread and a small glass of water every two or three days. "I take it you know what food is?" he asked gently. She nodded and the corners of her mouth twitched upward slightly for the first time. Proud that he had managed to get her to smile, even if only a little bit, he gave her a small smile of his own and turned around, flicking his wand toward the doorway. Since the wand was pointed away from her, Mina didn't flinch, but instead stared curiously at the doorway. After a few moments, two trays flew through the open doors and came to a stop in front of Mina and Severus. She stared at the trays, eyes wide in shock. Clearly, she was also unused to wands being used for things other than hurting other people.

Quietly, Severus handed Mina a tray. She sat up a little straighter and placed the tray in her lap. She rolled her shoulders a little and Severus flicked his wand again. A potion came to him. He placed it on her tray and she gave him a questioning look. "It's an Appetite Enhancer," he explained. "You haven't been eating enough and this will improve your appetite so you can regain nutrients and put on weight faster." She looked at the bottle questioningly. "I would recommend you drink it first," he said pointedly. She threw him another look and picked up the bottle, uncorking it. Cautiously, she sniffed at the bottle. Reminding himself not to push her, he watched as she hesitated, obviously debating whether or not drinking the concoction was a good idea. His patience was rewarded. Eventually, she downed the entire bottle of potion, which he knew tasted pretty decent given the fact that it was a potion. She then began to eat the pieces of toast and tomato soup that sat before her. She ate slowly, but she also ate most of the tray, which pleased Severus.

Eventually, the two of them finished eating and with another flick of his wand, Severus sent the trays away. Not surprisingly, Mina fell asleep once more not long after the trays disappeared. It was only to be expected that she was so tired given the amount of potions in her system and the amount of healing her body was doing.

As he pulled the sheets up around Mina's lean frame and settled back down in his chair to snatch a few more precious hours of sleep, Severus couldn't help but feel relieved that she had awoken so quickly, even if it was due to a nightmare.

Mina would survive. That much he knew.

Severus didn't sleep for long, however. Clearly, the forces of the universe were intent on keeping him from getting more than an hour's worth of sleep tonight.

This time, Mina was rolling about in her blankets. Again, Severus hesitated to wake her, not wanting her to lash out at him again and unsure as to the severity of the nightmare. But when she started moaning, he knew he had better get her out of the world of her dreams. She was now crying in her sleep, which was not a good sign. And the things she was saying were even more telling. "Please," she cried. "Please, anything but this. Anything." Quickly, the tears streaming down her face turned into sobs. "Please!" Carefully, Severus laid a hand on Mina's shoulder. "Mina," he said calmly. "Wake up. Mina, wake up!" He shook her. "Wake up, Mina!" He shook her again, harder. "MINA!"

Instantly, her eyes flew open, wide with terror and she began struggling against her sheets, panicking. He quickly pulled out his wand, muttering, "Shh, relax. Relax; it was just a dream, just a dream." He waved his wand above her and she cowered, letting out another sob. The sheets disentangled from her and she fell to the side into him, burying her face in his robes, not saying a word, simply sobbing her heart out. He carefully laid his hand across her back and rubbed soothing circles there, reassuring her. "Shh, it's all right. It was just a dream. You're safe now. I promise. You're safe. I'll protect you. You're safe." Mina's sobs transformed into mere tears and shuddering breaths as he began to calm her. He continued to soothe her and the huge heaving shudders became mere shivers. Severus allowed her to soak his shirt and release all the stemmed tears of the past, knowing she desperately needed to do so in order to heal. So, he cared for her, held her, helped her.

Eventually, the tears died away and she fell back asleep. Carefully, he laid her back against the pillows and cast a quick Drying Charm on himself. He then summoned a Dreamless Sleep potion, deciding that they both needed a few good hours of sleep, and spelled it directly into her stomach just before he too fell back asleep.

***Page Break***

_Mina was scared. She had no idea where she was or how she had gotten there. All she knew was that it was dark and cold and the people who had brought her here called themselves Death Eaters. Her mum had never liked the Death Eaters, but then again, she hadn't liked her father much either. Mina still didn't understand how she had been born if Mum didn't love her father, but Mum had promised to explain when she was older. _

_Now Mina wasn't sure that was going to happen. Mina wasn't even sure how much longer she had to live. _

_She heard a heavy door open. Her eyes had long since adjusted to the darkness and she saw the outlines of several figures approaching her. They were all wearing silver masks, each one with a different intricate design on it. All their animi were snarling, growling, hissing, or otherwise acting aggressively toward Hugo, who was cowering beside her in mongoose form and hissing in warning. Mina looked back up at her assailants. One had white-blonde hair that was poking out from the sides of his mask. The rest were completely hidden behind their black robes and silver masks. _

_The one with the white-blonde hair and albino peacock anima, which wasn't half as regal as a male peacock animus, but still carried its head high just the same, stepped forward, acting as the leader. _

"_Do you know why you are here?" he asked in a low voice. _

"No."

"_Well, allow me to explain." He raised his wand and Mina couldn't help but cower. Beside him, the albino peacock strode forward, feathers fluffed out. Hugo promptly shifted into a spoonbill, the better to fight the bird on its own footing, and fluffed his own feathers. _

"_Crucio," he muttered. _

_Pain, so much pain, erupted throughout Mina's entire body. It felt as though thousands of white-hot barbed knives were being shoved deep into her skin and sawing away. At the same time, she felt as though she was being dumped in a corrosive acid bath. Her vocal cords strained as she screamed at the top of her lungs, her muscles contorting in strange directions as the pain grew and grew. She wasn't sure how long she was under the curse, but eventually the peacock man stopped the pain. She looked up at him with pure loathing and terror in her eyes. _

"_You are here because you are a threat," he told her. "You are a threat that needs to be kept in check. That is something that we can do quite easily here. _

"_Know now that you will never leave this place ever again." _

_And, as a single tear dripped down her face, the pain started again once more, throwing Mina into a world where the only sounds that came out of her mouth were pleas and screams. _

"_Mina!" an unfamiliar voice shouted. She figured this was a new Death Eater, one she hadn't seen before. Not that it mattered. Whoever it was still intended to hurt her, and that was all she really had the energy to care about. A hand was laid on her shoulder and she flinched, lashing out at the hand with her right arm and using her left arm to counter the attack she felt certain was coming. The hand shook her. _

"Mina, wake up!"

Mina's eyes snapped open and she found herself shrieking. Immediately, the sound ceased as she realized she was no longer in the dark stone place but rather in a solid white room on a solid white bed. It was quite a comfortable bed; it wasn't too hard, so it didn't remind her of the stone floor she used to sleep on, and the sheets were softer than anything she had ever felt before. She quickly realized that her legs were bandaged, as was her back, which also felt as though some sort of liquid was pressed up against it. It felt nice though; the incessant prickling and stabbing pains of the burns had faded.

Despite the fact that she now knew she was safe, she was still breathing quite heavily, her breath coming in short gasps that didn't seem to really be providing her with air. The hand on her shoulder tightened a little and she jumped, her right arm shooting out toward the hand and knocking it off her shoulder. Instantly, her left arm came up over her face to ward off the blow she felt certain was coming.

"That's twice now that you've done that," a silky voice said next to her. She peeked out from behind her arm to see the doe man who had rescued her with the tall phoenix wizard and the cat woman. "I'm not going to hurt you," he continued. "I rescued you remember?" Slowly, she lowered her arm and gave a short nod. It was then that she realized it no longer hurt to move. Not only had the pain of the burns on her back gone away, but the pain everywhere else had at least dimmed if not faded completely. She no longer felt like shrieking every time she moved her arms and she found that she could wiggle her toes without too much pain, though her healing bones did mumble in protest.

Mina looked up at the man, a question in her eyes. Hoping he was interpreting her correctly, he said, "Yes, I healed you, as did a woman named Poppy Pomfrey." He gestured to a woman sleeping in a chair on her other side. "She is the resident Healer here at Hogwarts. And so that you have it for future reference, my name is Severus Snape. I'm the resident Potions Master here at Hogwarts; I also teach potions here and I am the head of Slytherin House." She nodded, a little more disconcerted now to hear that he was the head of the house that many of her torturers came from, and glanced around her once more, taking in more details of the room.

It was not, in point of fact, solid white, though most of the furniture was. The walls were actually a pale brown stone, as were the flagstones that made up the floor. The screens that sat next to each of the beds were an interesting shade of green. All the rest of the furniture (beds, side tables, cabinets, etc.) was white.

Mina had never really seen colors before. She didn't have any memories of anything before her life in the stone room, though sometimes she would wake up thinking that she had dreamt of something from her previous life. However, she could never recall these dreams and thus was left feeling more frustrated and depressed than if she simply hadn't had the dreams at all. But thanks to the fact that every time she looked someone in the eye, she could look into their memories, she saw enough to be completely fluent in the English language and to understand most things. Sometimes, when she was too tired or scared, she would forget some of the things she had learned from their thoughts, but in all essence, she had just as good a knowledge of the basic world as any other child her age despite the fact that she had never been properly raised like any other child her age.

Next to her, Snape sighed, bringing her out of the world of her thoughts and back into the real world. She turned toward him. "I suppose you don't want to talk about what you were dreaming about?" he asked.

Mina felt the color completely drain from her face. She did not want to talk about the dream. It wasn't even one of the worse ones. But she didn't want to tell anyone about anything that had happened to her. It was too painful to try to remember. She shook her head fiercely, her eyes quite wide. Her breathing sped up again. He raised a hand in surrender, attempting to calm her, and she flinched. "It's fine if you don't want to talk about it just yet," Snape said, "but know that it will help to talk about what happened. It will take a load off your chest." Her breathing began to slow a little and her eyes relaxed, though they were still wider than normal and her breathing rate hadn't hit normal since she had started having the nightmare. She nodded her understanding.

Suddenly, something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. Sitting in front of the side table beside her bed was a large doe. It was Snape's doe, she realized, and curled in to her side was a young male fawn that she instantly recognized as Hugo. He too seemed to be rather afraid as though he too had been having a nightmare, but the doe was making soft noises to the fawn and had her head resting on top of his back, attempting to soothe him. The sight of it made her feel a little better.

"What are you looking at?" Snape asked. She jumped again, not used to having people speaking to her unless they were jeering at her. She looked at him, a look of fear in her eyes again. "You can tell me. Whatever it is, I'm sure I'll understand."

Mina's eyes darted back and forth between Snape and the deer pairing on the floor. Something told her that Snape was something like the doe, that he was only trying to help and that he wouldn't help her. But the paranoid, defensive side of her simply couldn't bring itself to trust him as quickly as Hugo had come to trust the doe. The impulsive, needy side of her, on the other hand, wanted very much to pour out her heart to him and tell him everything.

The impulsive, needy side won out, though it was heavily tempered by the paranoid, defensive side. As much as she wanted to, she didn't pour her heart out to the stranger clad in black that sat next to her, but simply raised her hand, palm up, asking him to take it in her own. Instantly, Snape reached forward, slowly, so as not to startle her, and took her hand.

Mina saw it in his eyes that his vision had changed. She wasn't sure what he saw normally, but judging from the shock in his eyes, it was quite different from what she saw. But he wasn't looking at the deer pairing on the floor, so she didn't understand what could be so different. She followed his line of sight and realized that he was looking at Pomfrey, whose animus, a kestrel, was perched on her shoulder, sleeping with its head tucked beneath its wing. Instantly, she understood why he was so shocked.

Carefully, she pulled at his arm and pointed to the deer pair lying on the floor. Through his arm, she could feel him stiffen slightly, then relax. She wasn't entirely sure what had prompted that, but she didn't really care either. She was just glad he wasn't hitting her because she saw animi.

After a few moments, Mina released Snape's hand and she could see in his eyes that his vision had returned to normal. He looked at her with an expression she couldn't read. Suddenly afraid that he was angry with her, she shrunk back into her pillows. He shook his head to clear it and looked at her again, the corners of his mouth playing upward a little. Even though she knew a smile was associated with happiness to most everyone else, Mina had always associated it with pain because everyone who had smiled at her had hurt her. She cowered a little more. When Severus raised his hand, she shut her eyes, expecting a blow to fall. But instead, she felt his hand rest lightly on her own. She opened her eyes and stared at their hands, blinking disbelievingly. She looked up at him as he spoke. "You are an amazing young girl," he said, "and don't you ever forget it."

And for the first time, Mina didn't feel threatened by the command. Instead, she felt a light sensation that she could only assume was happiness. But she was too dumbfounded to show it and merely blinked at Snape a few more times.

Eventually, he withdrew his hand and pulled out his wand. Mina cowered again at the sight of it, never having had a good experience around one, but she straightened a little when he lowered it so the tip rested on the bed.

"Now then," he said, "judging from your stick-like frame, I'd say you haven't been fed properly. I take it you would like some food?" She simply looked at him in shock for what seemed like the umpteenth time. No one had ever offered her food before. Rather, they had yelled at her for taking too much even though all she had eaten was a heel of bread and a small glass of water every two or three days. "I take it you know what food is?" he asked gently. She nodded, feeling the corners of her mouth twitch upward slightly for the first time. He gave her a small smile of his own and turned around, flicking his wand toward the doorway. Since the wand was pointed away from her, Mina didn't flinch, but instead stared curiously at the doorway, wondering what was going to happen. After a few moments, two trays flew through the open doors and came to a stop in front of Mina and Severus. She stared at the trays, eyes wide in shock. She had never seen anything quite like that.

Quietly, Severus handed Mina a tray. She sat up a little straighter and placed the tray in her lap. She rolled her shoulders a little, relishing the fact that there was no pain in doing so, working the stiffness out of the muscles. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Severus flick his wand again and a potion came to him. He placed it on her tray and she gave him a questioning look. "It's an Appetite Enhancer," he explained. "You haven't been eating enough and this will improve your appetite so you can regain nutrients and put on weight faster." She looked at the bottle questioningly. "I would recommend you drink it first," he said pointedly. She threw him another look and picked up the bottle, uncorking it. Cautiously, she sniffed at the bottle. It certainly didn't smell like poison. The paranoid, defensive side of her had another battle with the reckless, needy side of her and eventually the reckless, needy side won out. She downed the entire bottle of potion, which tasted pretty decent, especially given what she had been forced to eat before. She then began to eat the pieces of toast and tomato soup that sat before her. She savored every bite, having never tasted food this good in her life. Also, she was unsure as to when she would get a meal this large again, so she ate every bite her stomach could contain, which was most of the tray.

As she and Snape ate in companionable silence, Mina realized something. When she was around Severus Snape, she didn't feel as scared. Certainly she still reacted with the same defensive maneuvers she was used to, but she didn't truly believe he was going to hurt her, ever. His anima revealed that in her actions around Hugo and he had only ever been nice to her. He hadn't even reacted badly when she had shown him the animi. She'd never felt that way around anyone else before, most likely because all anyone else had ever done (save for the other two who had rescued her and the mysterious Poppy Pomfrey sleeping next to her) was hurt her. She had no reason to believe they wouldn't hurt her, nor did she have any reason to feel happy around them or smile around them.

Eventually, the two of them finished eating and with another flick of his wand, Severus sent the trays away. Not surprisingly, Mina felt quite tired (the potions and healing process had taken quite a bit out of her), and not long after the trays disappeared, she fell asleep once more.

Unfortunately, it was a restless sleep.

_She was lying on her stomach on the stone floor. A cold blade was pressed to the back of her neck ever so lightly. _

"_Happy ninth birthday, Mina," a man's voice whispered in her ear. She shivered at the sound, then winced a she felt the knife dig into her flesh and deliver a solid cut to the back of her neck, marking yet another year of her painful existence. _

_As soon as the customary cut had been delivered, Mina was dragged to her feet. Surprisingly, her hands were tied behind her back and a loop was secured around each of her feet. Usually, the Death Eaters didn't tie her up unless they were going to hang her by various limbs. She certainly hoped they weren't going to do that. Even though it didn't sound so bad, it was actually quite painful, especially since she was injured in so many other ways already. But the ropes were different this time than they were when they did that. _

_Mina was shoved against a wall. She began to shiver, and it wasn't because of the cold. She didn't like it when she didn't know what the Death Eaters were planning. At least when she knew what they were going to do, she could brace herself. When she didn't know what they were going to do, she had no idea what to prepare herself for. And she didn't like that feeling. _

_Suddenly, one of the men was pressed solidly up against her. She could tell it was a man by the way he smelled; the women always smelled of high-end, flowery perfumes, whereas the men always smelled…different. She wasn't entirely sure how to describe it. Not quite musky, and not quite stinky, but different. _

_Mina's eyes flew wide open and she began to struggle in earnest as the man, who she recognized as the peacock man because of the white-blonde hair, pressed his lips against hers. She knew struggling really got her nowhere (oftentimes, it actually made the situation worse), but she did _not_ like the feeling of this man's lips on hers. And she had seen enough of their thoughts in the past. She knew where this was going. Unfortunately, the ropes around her wrists prevented her from doing anything useful except hurting herself more and the ropes around her ankles were pulled taut, most likely by some other Death Eaters in the background, preventing her from using her legs in anyway. So, she had to be content by simply squirming underneath the Death Eater, which did absolutely nothing to help her. _

"_Come now," said the Peacock, leaning back slightly. His mask had been removed for this occasion and for the first time, Mina caught a glimpse of his face. She didn't like what she saw, especially in his eyes. "I can't be _that _bad a kisser, can I?" He leaned forward again as the other Death Eaters laughed and this time, when he kissed her, he forced his tongue in between her teeth. She didn't like the taste of him either. _

_Somehow, the reckless side of her burst out at that moment and she bit him. She instantly regretted it as he pulled his fist back and punched her hard on the nose, breaking it for the thousandth time. "Do that again," he whispered menacingly in her ear, "and we'll be here a lot longer." He leaned into her again, doing the same thing as last time, this time tasting of blood as well as whatever the hell he normally tasted of, something she couldn't identify, and this time she was smart enough not to bite him. She did _not _want to buy herself more time with this torture. _

_Peacock waved his wand and her clothes disappeared. Mina felt herself begin to tremble even harder now, tears welling up in her eyes. _

Why do I have to be so different? _she thought. _Why can't I just be normal so I didn't have to go through all this?

_But having those thoughts changed nothing. _

"_Get down on your knees," Peacock ordered. Mina didn't have much of a choice, she knew, but she still hesitated, not looking forward to anything now. But her hesitation didn't win her much time; the ropes around her ankles suddenly pulled and she fell forward onto her knees, bumping her head against Peacock's thighs. "Eager, now, aren't we?" The Death Eaters laughed again. She heard the sound of a zipper being undone and she could only watch through moist eyes as his pants fell. He leaned forward into her and she felt something bump into her cheek. "Open up," he whispered in what he must have imagined as a seductive voice. She refused, expecting to get hit but welcoming that much more than her other option. But she wasn't hit. Instead, Peacock pinched her nose, stopping her airflow. She attempted to hold her breath for as long as possible, but eventually she couldn't take it anymore and her human instincts took over. Her mouth opened of its own volition and Peacock instantly thrust forward, filling her mouth with a horrible taste. She gagged, but there was nothing she could do as he thrust forward and back, again and again. _

"_You know, boys, this isn't half bad, even though she's so stubborn." Peacock's sentiment was greeted with a lot of rumbling laughter and tears streaked down Mina's face as she realized this was far from over. _

_She looked to her left. Hugo, being the intelligent animus he was, had transformed into a bear, much too large for the peacock anima of the man in front of her to do anything to. Or at least, much too large to do anything like her human was doing. She still pecked incessantly at Hugo's feet, and many of the other animi had come to join her, attacking Hugo in all their various forms. They might not be able to do what their humans could, but they could still do damage. _

_Eventually, Peacock pulled out of Mina's mouth and she could breathe properly again through mouth and nose. She spat at the ground, attempting to rid her mouth of the taste. It did her no good and she ended up heaving next to him. There was nothing in her stomach for her to throw up though, so she simply dry heaved next to him. They laughed at her, mocking her weakness, saying horrible things that she tried (and failed) to ignore. _

_Once she was done, Peacock threw her onto the floor again. The cold stones were even colder against her bare skin. She felt Peacock settle on top of her and her legs were pulled wide. She began to sob. _

"_Please," she cried. "Please, anything but this. Anything." _

"_Oh, no," said Peacock. "I'm going to enjoy this quite a lot, thank you very much." _

"_Please!" Mina sobbed. _

_But it did no good. She felt a stabbing pain and tears streamed down her face as he thrust back and forth, again and again. The pain didn't fade, but only got worse and worse. She felt a hand on her shoulder, but she didn't know whose it was, nor did she care. _

"_Mina," a familiar silky voice said. "Wake up. Mina, wake up!" The hand shook her. "Wake up, Mina!" The Death Eaters were laughing now, taunting her. The hand shook her harder. "MINA!" _

Mina's eyes snapped open for the second time in the last hour. She found that the tears that had been streaming down her face in her dream were streaming down her face in the waking world as well. The sheets were tangled around her and she began to fight against them, panicking, remembering the feeling of all those men pressed up against her that night, the aching pain she had felt afterward.

"Shh, relax," the same silky voice muttered. "Relax; it was just a dream, just a dream." A wand waved above her and she cowered, letting out another sob, but the sheets simply disentangled from her and she fell to the side against something soft but firm. She buried her face in it, not saying a word, simply sobbing her heart out. A hand was laid carefully across her back and it rubbed soothing circles there, reassuring her. "Shh, it's all right. It was just a dream. You're safe now. I promise. You're safe. I'll protect you. You're safe." Mina's sobs transformed into mere tears and shuddering breaths as the silky voice began to calm her. Dimly, she was aware that the voice belonged to Severus Snape, the man she had eaten with earlier, the man she had shown the animi. As he continued to soothe her and the huge heaving shudders became mere shivers, she became more and more aware of who was holding her, of who was comforting her, that someone even was. That had never happened to her before. No one had ever held her and simply allowed her to cry. She'd always been told that tears were a sign of weakness and they had always earned her more pain and humiliation. She had quickly learned to stifle them as best she could, only crying when the Death Eater were gone, and even then not crying very hard. But Severus was actually allowing her to soak his shirt and release all the stemmed tears of the past. Slowly, she began to realize that Severus was actually caring for her, holding her, helping her.

And as she thought about it and drifted back into the realm of sleep, this time peacefully, Mina realized something even more shocking.

She, Mina Evans, trusted Severus Snape.

**A/N: Sorry if Snape seems OOC; he's just trying to gain Mina's trust so he can help her recover, so he's being nicer than usual. Once Mina gets to know him a little better, he'll be more snarky and sarcastic around her. Review please!**


	5. Chapter 5 - Alterations

**A/N: Sorry this chapter might seem boring, but it has a lot of information some of the more mysterious aspects of Mina. I'm hoping to get another chapter posted sometime tonight and it might just be a little more interesting. **

**Also, I intend to post at least once every two days once spring break is over. **

Severus didn't sleep for long (the clock dictated that he had only slept for two hours), but he felt quite refreshed. Looking around him, he discovered that Poppy had clearly awakened sometime while he was sleeping and had left, probably moved to her own bed. He figured his energy high wouldn't last long and that he would probably collapse of exhaustion in a few hours, but he didn't care. All he cared about was finding out what it was that Mina saw.

He figured it had something to do with at least one of the Alterations that had appeared on her Diagnostic Sheet, so he summoned it and glanced over it again, reminding himself which terms he had been unfamiliar with. Then he summoned a book titled _How to Raise Children with Alterations to Anatomy. _Even though it was technically a parenting book, it had been quite helpful in the past when Severus had found Slytherins with Alterations. He had often been able to help them by giving them new study techniques if they found it difficult to study outside of class or concentration techniques if they couldn't pay attention in class. Occasionally, he thought of offering his services to Pomona, Filius, and Minerva, but quickly realized that even if the other Heads of Houses accepted his offer, few non-Slytherin students would do the same.

Severus quickly flipped to the index and searched for Animi Speaker. It was, of course, quite near the beginning and he flipped to page 14, eager to discover just what an Animi Speaker was. Casting a quick glance at Mina to make sure she was still sleeping and that the Dreamless Sleep had not yet worn off, he began to read.

_According to Merlin, each person has what is called an anima or an animus. A man will have an anima; a woman will have an animus. A person's animus takes the form of an animal that best represents them. Each animal symbolizes something different, and an Animi Speaker will inherently know what each animal symbolizes. A person's animus will usually only change if they go through something life-changing, such as falling in love, losing a loved one, or a particular traumatic experience. Few possess animi that change at will. Those who do are always very powerful and often have personalities that change in a heartbeat, like their animi. A person's animus will always react the same way the person does in accordance with other animi. For instance, when a person falls in love, the person they fall in love with has an animus of the same or at least a similar species (cat to cat, bird to bird, etc.) and if they are to court, the animi will also court. If they have sex, the animi will also mate. If a person is attacked and reacts defensively, their assailant's animus will also attack and the person's animus will also react defensively. However, a person's animus will reveal a person's true feelings and the actions that they would rather be performing rather than what they are actually doing. For instance, if a man were to court a woman but he would rather be courting another, his anima will court the animus of the woman he would rather be courting rather than the animus of the woman he is courting. This is often what leads to affairs. _

_Animi Speakers are those gifted with the ability to see animi. As they grow and gain control over their talents, they are eventually able to speak with a person's animus and call them from the astral plane, bringing them into the world the rest of us can see. Animi Speakers are also more closely tied to their own animi and often feel double the pain if they are attacked or double the affection if they fall in love because they experience that which their animi experiences more intensely than anyone else. Animi Speakers are also more prone to react to what a person's animus is doing rather than what the person is doing because the animus will always reveal a person's true intentions. Therefore, if your child is an Animi Speaker and they run in terror from someone who offers them a lollipop, you should not scold your child, but rather ask them what they saw and, if it proves necessary, report that someone to the Ministry. _

_If you would like to know what each animal symbolizes, you may either ask your child, who should be able to explain it to you in detail, or, if you are uncomfortable doing so, you may purchase _What Your Animus Means: A Book of Animal Symbolism _by Mystic Goodman. _

Quickly, Severus summoned a Flourish and Blotts order form, quickly filling it out and stowing it in his pocket to send later. Then he continued reading the last paragraph.

_It is important to keep in mind that a person's animus does not necessarily represent all of them. It only represents those qualities which are most prevalent in the person. For instance, a person can have a Patronus that is different from his anima and an animagus form that is different from both of them. This does not mean it is impossible for a person's animagus form and Patronus to be the same, or for their Patronus and animus to be the same. This is also possible, but it is more likely that the three things will represent three different aspects of a person. If one form is found to be taken by all three of these, the person is usually quite dedicated to something or quite single-minded. _

Severus wondered what that meant for him; his Patronus was also a doe. He continued reading.

_It is also important to remember that it is rare for a woman to have an anima and rare for a man to have an animus, though it is possible. A woman who has an anima will most likely fall in love with a man who has an anima, like herself, but she will feel more drawn to a man with an animus, should she ever find one. _

The next paragraph had a heading reading: _How to Raise an Animi Speaker. _Severus decided that it might be a good idea to have some tips about how to act around Mina and read that too.

_It can be a challenge to raise an Animi Speaker, mostly because their reactions to their gift can be unpredictable. However, most Animi Speakers react in one of two ways: they either hate the fact that they are different and try to ignore their talent as much as possible or they believe that it makes them superior to others and flaunt their ability in quite an arrogant manner. It is important to steer your child away from both of these as arrogance will cast a bad light on Animi Speakers and potentially bring harm to them and ignoring the talent of Animi Speaking will often cause Speakers' magic to be smothered and repressed as Speaking is a major part of a Speaker's magic. When a Speaker's magic is repressed, it will often burst out when the Speaker feels particularly threatened or excited and may have drastic effects. If a Speaker is repressing their magic and it bursts out, a Speaker will redouble their efforts to repress their magic, making the situation worse. Always remind your child that it is not being different that makes them a bad person, but rather how they choose to use their differences that makes them a good or bad person, especially if your child is repressing their differences. For those who believe their gifts make them better, remind them that their gifts do not make them superior, but how they use their gifts can if they are used appropriately. _

_Animi Speaking can be destructive. An Animi Speaker can implant ideas into a person's mind by Speaking to their animus. They can also summon animi from the astral plane and allow them to wander free, causing twice the destruction in fights and instigating twice the passion in relationships. Many are also unaware that animi exist, so summoning them from the astral plane is a very dangerous business. It is believed that Speakers have their own society with its own rules and mandates to protect themselves from other wizards who find their gifts to be curses and to protect the rest of the wizarding world from destroying itself in bad reactions to animi. It is unknown where this society is centered or even what its true name is, if it has one. Most Speakers are usually found by someone in this society by the time they are ten or eleven. If you feel the need to, it may be possible to owl this society earlier than that to help you with your Speaker child._

_Whatever you do, _do not _cast away your Animi Speaker because of what they are. Do not tell them that they are bad for being different or that their gifts are horrible. This will turn them against the wizarding world and they may use their gifts for evil, turning wizards against each other and summoning animi to the solid plane. In essence, they may cause mass chaos in their attempts at revenge. Make sure your Animi Speaker feels loved _especially _for their gifts, not _in spite of_ their gifts. In doing so, your child will have a much better future and life. _

Severus leaned back in his chair and closed the book, staring out the window in thought. Should he owl this Speaker society? Or would Mina react badly to them? It appeared that she already had decent control over her gift, though he hadn't really seen very much to be sure. He had a feeling that the Death Eaters had not been kind in describing her gift and had a feeling that it was much more likely that she was repressing her magic. He sighed. He figured he would have to teach her that her gifts were not a bad thing, or at least, whoever ended up with custody of her would need to do so. In the meantime, however, he intended to set her along the right path. He had to help Lily's daughter.

He had to.

Next to him, Mina stirred a little in her sleep and rolled onto her side to face him. She appeared to still be sleeping; she was even smiling. And Severus had no idea what would make her smile like that in consciousness, so she must have been particularly pleased with something in her dream.

Except she shouldn't be dreaming. The Dreamless Sleep shouldn't have worn off yet.

Deciding that whatever she was seeing couldn't be that bad if she was smiling, Severus turned back to the Diagnostic Sheet and looked for the next Alteration he had never heard of. Then he flipped to the index and looked for Sight. He found two entries, as he had been hoping, one for the Sight and one for Second Sight. He flipped to the corresponding page for Second Sight, already quite familiar with the Sight, and began to read.

_Second Sight is quite similar to the Sight in the fact that both are gifts of predicting the future. However, those gifted with the Sight will foretell events in the form of riddle-like prophecies and never remember what they have said whereas those gifted with Second Sight will see visions of the future and are bound to never reveal the events that they see lest someone try to change the future. Those gifted with Second Sight are considered more powerful and more benevolent than those with the Sight because they can remember what they have seen and therefore have the ability to change what they have seen, though it is often quite dangerous. It is important to remember that prophecies and visions are only one version of the future. Though these visions and prophecies are the most likely happenings, they are only one possible outcome. Based on people's choices and actions, especially spontaneous ones, the future can drastically change. _

_Like those gifted with the Sight, those who possess Second Sight will often black out unexpectedly for a few minutes while they are having a vision. Their eyes will become glazed over and come to resemble glass rather than eyes and their magic may react with their vision. If the person does not like what they are seeing or is witnessing a battle, their magic may react violently and cause things to fly about the room. If it is a more pleasurable event such as a wedding or a birth, their magic may simply crackle about them or fix any broken objects within their vicinity. It is important not to interrupt these visions as it could potentially harm the person having said visions. _

_If your child is gifted with Second Sight, they are more likely to suffer psychological damage and develop symptoms of depression, PTSD, etc. After your child has had a vision, if he/she looks ill or sad, you should ask your child if what they saw disturbed them. Though they cannot tell you what it is they saw, they can tell you their opinion on it. If what they saw was damaging, comfort them. They will need your support, especially in their early years, to get through what they see. Never cast your child away or dish out disparaging remarks about their ability, especially out of spite or jealousy. Never tell them that they are lucky to have their gift, for it is often just as much a curse as a gift, but do not tell them they are lesser for their ability to see the future. The former may trigger a violent response as your child protests and the latter will inform your child that he/she is not loved because of their gift. _

_Stifling of Second Sight is just as dangerous as suppressing the Sight and may have disastrous consequences. Keep a close eye on your child if he/she possesses either of these gifts. _

Severus sighed. Naturally, the book had no information on what one should do with a child that possessed both versions of the sight as well as World Vision. Not that he was surprised; he guessed it had never happened before. But it made him wonder…would Mina have twice as many visions? Thrice as many? Would her gifts come into conflict with each other? If so, how would they react with each other? It was then that he realized that the book in his lap was practically useless to him. It could give him basic information on Mina's gifts, but Mina was such a unique case that the likelihood of her acting exactly as any of these described was quite slim, especially given the fact that she had been imprisoned by Death Eaters.

Snape flipped through a few more pages till he found the last unfamiliar term: a Summoner.

_Summoners are a very unique group of people and have been mistaken throughout the centuries as Dark Wizards. In truth, Summoners, though certainly quite dangerous, can be quite helpful. A Summoner is a person gifted with the ability to recall souls from beyond the veil. _

Severus felt himself stiffen.

_A Summoner, however, is not a Necromancer. _

He breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't like Necromancers. He'd had too many bad experiences with them.

_Summoners only have the ability to recall souls. They cannot return these souls to their bodies or reawaken dead bodies. They can only contact deceased souls. They often do so to bring closure to families of the deceased who never received the chance to say farewell or to ask someone who has been murdered who their attacker was in order to bring said attacker to justice. Occasionally, Summoners will accidentally contact souls in their sleep or souls will contact them, which is also possible while a Summoner is conscious, but is far easier to do when they are asleep. If a Summoner uses his/her ability in sleep, no known potions or spells will bring them back. They must return on their own time. _

_Very little is known about Summoners. It is believed that they have their own society with its own rules and regulations; it even has its own court. However, it is not known how a Summoner becomes aware of the society nor is it known what this society does to incorporate new Summoners into their midst. If you have a Summoner child, you will be unable to contact this society, though do not be alarmed if your child speaks of meeting someone "just like them" in the middle of the night. This probably means they met another Summoner and were initiated into the society. However, if your child goes missing without a note or other such notification, by all means, Floo-call the Ministry right away. This is more likely to be the work of Death Eaters. _

_Well, that was helpful,_ thought Severus. The lack of information was rather frustrating. These supposed 'societies' of Animi Speakers and Summoners were too mysterious for their own good, in his opinion, and he still had no idea how to help Mina.

Next to him, she stirred in her sleep and her smile faded. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open and she looked at him. Her lips twitched upward in a half-smile of sorts and he smiled back at her.

Maybe, just maybe, he was beginning to gain her trust.

**A/N: Review please! All the reviews I've gotten (which there are only three) are from the same person (whom I thank wholeheartedly for sticking with me), so if anyone else is reading, please review!**


	6. Chapter 6 - Choice

**A/N: This chapter explains why in the hell I created a Mary Sue. Thank you to those of you who reviewed; now more than one person has given me reviews! Yay! Enjoy. **

**P.S. Sorry it's boring, I – **

**Severus: Shut up, you idiot! **

Mina was very confused.

She'd had dreams before, of course, but none of them had ever been pleasant. She had always had flashback nightmares from things that had already happened to her in the place she used to be. She began to wonder if the pleasant dream would ever come back. Maybe that was part of not being tortured all day, every day. Perhaps she would have more pleasant dreams.

But nothing in Mina's life that was pleasant had ever stuck around, so just in case, she made sure to embrace the entirety of the dream.

She took a deep breath. She had never smelled anything so pleasant as the flowers around her. She tried to put names to them but realized that the Death Eater memories she possessed didn't particularly care about pairing flower names with scents. They were more concerned about what they were doing _in _the gardens. She shuddered and cast the thought from her mind. It didn't matter that she couldn't name them; at least they smelled nice.

She bent down and plucked one of the more exotic looking pink flowers. She wasn't sure how the more exotic flowers came to grow in the same field as the more domestic ones, but she didn't care. She liked this dream. Beside her, Hugo turned into a sparrow and flew low across the field, skimming the tops of the flower petals with his wings. Yes, she and Hugo _both _liked this dream. She wasn't about to question its authenticity.

A flicker of movement in the corner of her eye made Mina's head shoot straight up. Before her stood two people, one a man, the other a woman. They were holding hands and looked quite happy together. The man had jet-black hair that looked as though he had just hopped off a broom and his eyes were hazel. The woman had red hair and vibrant green eyes that matched the stalks of the flowers at her feet. Mina somehow inherently knew that this woman was her mother. She recognized the man beside Lily and decided that it must be James Potter, who she could barely recall from her memories but knew was a good man. On Lily's other side was a young doe and Mina couldn't help but stiffen in shock. She'd never seen a woman with an anima before. And surprisingly, the doe looked exactly like Severus'. She switched her gaze to James' anima and discovered that he did not have an anima, but rather an animus, a stag. _No wonder the two were drawn to each other,_ she thought. _They're both the odd ones out._

As they came closer, Mina took a step back. She wasn't sure why they were in her dream, but she was afraid the Death Eaters had taken on disguises and were trying to trick her. She clutched the flower tightly as she retreated. They stopped.

"It's all right, Mina," said Lily. "We are not Death Eaters in disguise." Mina looked up and down the lengths of the people before her and shook her head. "We promise. We are souls come back from beyond the veil for just long enough to talk to you." Mina narrowed her eyes. Why would souls return from the dead just to talk to her? It didn't seem quite right. "Come, sit," her mother said. She settled on the ground and James settled next to her, putting his arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him as Mina settled on the ground in front of them, still a meter or so away just to be safe. They sat in silence for a moment, then Lily said, "Mina, have you seen the results of a Diagnostic Spell recently?" Mina shook her head. "Well, Diagnostic Spells always reveal what we call Alterations to Anatomy. Usually, Alterations are things like allergies. But there are certain Alterations that are gifts.

"You have many of those gifts, Mina.

"They were given to you when you were captured in the hopes that they would protect you. They have done their job well. But now, you have a decision to make." Mina narrowed her eyes again. "You have been given the gifts of the Sight, Second Sight, powers of an Eye of Merlin, a Beast Tongue, and Summoning. You are also a True ShapeShifter, a wolfchild, an Elementide, and an Animi Speaker. These gifts made your magic stronger and enabled you to survive under the Death Eaters torturous hand."

Mina looked at Lily and James curiously, not at all sure what they were talking about. Lily sighed and carefully explained what each gift entailed, how it was used, and what it meant in day to day life.

"Now you must make a choice," said James. "You were born a wolfchild because your father was Fenrir Greyback, and that is something that cannot be taken away. But you cannot keep all these powers."

"Why?" Mina asked, speaking for the first time since she had been taken from under the noses of the Death Eaters.

"Many of them conflict with each other," he explained. "For instance, you possess the Sight and Second Sight, as well as World Vision, since you are an Eye of Merlin. The Sight prevents you from remembering the future. But Second Sight simply restricts you from sharing that future, yet allows you to remember it. These gifts battle each other and could not only cause you severe pain, but could drain your magic and kill you."

"Therefore, you must decide," said Lily. "You will be allowed to retain your status as a wolfchild because it is something built into your DNA. But the other gifts will be removed. You may select one to retain. Choose carefully."

Mina wanted to protest. She didn't care if the gifts conflicted with each other; she'd force them to work it out or something. But then she remembered what James had said: "These gifts battle each other and could not only cause you severe pain, but could drain your magic and kill you."

Mina could deal with severe pain. Almost every memory she had was her dealing with severe pain. But she wasn't ready to die yet. She had been when she was in the hands of the Death Eaters. Often, she had prayed for death. But she had been given gifts so that she would survive their torturous hand, and now that she had those gifts were going to fade. Clearly, she had some sort of purpose. She just needed to discover what that purpose was.

Besides, she liked Severus Snape. He was kind to her and acted as though he genuinely cared for her. She couldn't hang on to her gifts and end her life simply because she didn't want to let her gifts go when he and the others had tried so hard to ensure her future.

She sighed. What the hell was she going to pick?

Knowing that she had all the time in the world, Mina began to sort through the pros and cons of each gift.

The Sight was useful because she could predict the future. Unfortunately, she wouldn't be able to remember anything she said, but she could be considered a reliable source for information. Then again, a lot of true Seers were scorned and treated as liars. Not that one then.

Second Sight was more promising. At least she would be able to remember what she had seen, though she wouldn't be able to tell. She might even have the potential to change the futures she didn't like. But she would still be a pariah if anyone found out, and the blackouts would make it pretty obvious there was something different about her. Not that one then.

The Eye of Merlin thing was pretty promising. After all, she could cast magic without a wand, so if she was disarmed, she still had a defense, she could read people's minds to see their true intentions and they would never be able to block her out, and she would have World Vision, which came with the potential to change the futures she didn't care for. Possibly.

Being a Beast Tongue was certainly an interesting power and could prove quite helpful if she ever had a run-in with a violent monster that was convinced she was trying to kill its children when in point of fact she was just passing through. But she could always escape other ways too without killing the creature. Certainly there were spells that would keep the animal subdued until she got away. There wasn't really much point to being a Beast Tongue. Not that one then.

Being a Summoner sounded just plain dark. Yes, it could be used for good, but she was uncomfortable even with the thought that she was talking to her deceased mother. She wasn't sure she was at all comfortable with the ability to talk to any dead soul anytime anywhere. Besides, the Death Eaters had served a Necromancer, and a Summoner was too close to a Necromancer for comfort. Not that one then.

A True ShapeShifter certainly sounded like it could be fun. She would be able to transform into any animal she wanted. It would certainly get her out of most tight scrapes, so it was helpful in a fight too. But Shifting was draining. Until she could build up her magical core, she wouldn't be able to Shift more than once a day, and young ShapeShifters often lost control when they were angry or scared. Mina knew she was bound to get angry and scared quite often, and she didn't want to drive away anyone before they got the chance to know her, even if it did take them a while to get to know her. Not that one then.

An Elementide was certainly interesting if nothing else. It would be nice to be able to control any of the elements, and she would certainly excel in Herbology, and maybe even in Potions. And summoning energy sounded pretty awesome. But that too was hard to control when young, and she wanted something she would be able to hide easily until she wanted to reveal to others who and what she was. Not that one then.

The Animi Speaker part of her had certainly played out most prevalently in the past. She looked at Hugo and realized she didn't have a single memory where she hadn't seen Hugo there right be her side. And even though it could sometimes double the pain and fear, she liked having Hugo there. Sometimes he was just nice to look at and to know that she wasn't alone. She'd even managed to have conversations with him. Despite the fact that he reacted the same way her inner self did, he had a surprisingly different personality. Mina was quite willing to mostly submit to the Death Eaters, but Hugo wanted to kick their arses. Sometimes he had even managed to get her to smile and laugh a little in her small piece of hell. He had always helped her, and she couldn't imagine life without him. And besides, seeing other people's animi was nice too. She could tell what their true intentions were without having to read their minds.

That one.

Even though being an Eye of Merlin would be nice and it would certainly earn her instant high status in the wizarding world, Mina wanted to earn her way to a high status the hard way like everyone else. And World Vision caused blackouts too, didn't it? She didn't want to blackout all the time, especially if she was in a fight. But Hugo could potentially help her in a fight. He was another set of eyes after all.

Quietly, she told Lily and James what she had decided. They smiled at her and congratulated her on her choice, saying it was a good one and would be helpful in the long run, as any choice would have been. And as she looked down at Hugo, who had hopped onto her shoulder, she realized that his sparrow eyes looked quite relieved. He liked having her there too, and he wanted to be able to talk to her for forever. Mina looked back at James and Lily and smiled, if only a little.

Yes, she had made the right choice.

She spent a little while after that talking to her parents. They explained how Lily was raped by Greyback and how she was the result. They explained that she had a twin half-brother named Harry Potter whose lightning scar was famous throughout the world for defeating Voldemort, but that very few people knew she had even existed, let alone knew she was still alive because she had disappeared a month before Voldemort found them. Greyback had pleaded for his daughter's life so he could train her to be like him and Voldemort had, surprisingly, obliged. After all, the prophecy had spoken of a 'he,' had it not?

Mina narrowed her eyes in anger as she heard that Greyback wanted to make her like him. Hugo leapt off her shoulder and transformed into a snarling wolverine. How dare he think that he could turn her into something as evil and twisted as him? How dare he think that she would be willing to stand by and watch him torture and rape others?

_**How dare he? **_

Mina struggled to calm herself and when she did, Lily and James continued. Hugo transformed into a crab now, calm, but on the verge of going nuts again.

Lily and James explained how Voldemort had finally fallen that night in Godric's Hollow and how most children were sent to Hogwarts. They explained that wands chose wizards and that no one understand why. They explained most of the wizarding world.

Then Lily told her about Severus, how he had a rough childhood past himself (though he hadn't been Cruciated till he was seventeen) and how James hadn't exactly helped. James blushed and Mina shot daggers at him with her eyes while Hugo shifted into a mongoose, hissing at the stag, which hung its head from its position on the ground. From how Lily was explaining it, Severus had done nothing to provoke James and most of what he did do was in retaliation for something James did. Given the fact that James wasn't protesting, she figured it was pretty accurate.

Lily explained how Severus had become a spy for Dumbledore to try to fix what he believed he had done wrong and how it had unfortunately failed. She explained that he still felt guilty and that his guilt was part of the reason why he wanted to help Mina so much. She reassured Mina that Severus truly cared for her however, and would help her in any way he could.

But suddenly, Lily and James' forms started flickering and they abruptly rose.

"We must go now, child," they said.

"Will I ever see you again?" she asked.

They nodded. "When you yourself cross the veil, we will be waiting for you. But don't forget that we'll never truly leave you. We'll always be with you." They pointed to her heart in unison. "In here."

Then they turned and walked away and Mina closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she was no longer in the field of flowers, but was now back in the hospital bed. She found herself looking at Severus and she gave him a small smile. He smiled back and she felt warmth flood her chest.

He cared. He truly cared.

**A/N: So for those of you wondering why I created a Mary Sue, there you have it. I don't intend to write with a Mary Sue; it makes things too easy for her to bypass. There are no challenges for her. Review please! **


	7. Chapter 7 - Memories

**A/N: Thank you to those of you who have stuck with me through the Mary Sue parts and such. I truly do appreciate it. This chapter has a lot of repeat stuff in it, but it's from a different point of view. Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters, only Mina Evans, much as I would love to. I do not have the skill, talent, nor creativity J.K. Rowling clearly has to create such fantastic plots and well-rounded characters as Severus Snape, Minerva McGonagall, etc. **

Severus looked down at the girl before him, still holding the book in his hands. She looked astoundingly like Lily, with the same build and red hair and (Merlin forbid) smile. The only thing that wasn't Lily's in her appearance was her eyes, which were the deep blue of Greyback. He found it difficult to comprehend that Lily Evans, one of the most powerful witches he had ever known, had been raped by the werewolf Fenrir Greyback. But clearly, it had happened, because the result was right in front of him and she most certainly hadn't slept with him willingly. Even if James Potter had been a prat, Lily had seen something in him and would never have cheated on him, much to Snape's chagrin.

And to think that Mina was so damn powerful…Merlin forbid she ever get pissed off. He didn't want to be there when her magic went volatile.

Except, something was different in Mina's eyes. Something that he couldn't read. Regret, perhaps? No…pride maybe? Not quite…admiration? Hell no. Oddly, he felt bent toward assuming it was some strange combination of all three, which didn't make sense. What did Mina have to regret? What did she pride herself on doing? Surviving? And why would she be looking at him with admiration in those dark blue eyes?

Thinking that it might be some sort of illness or relapse of injury, Snape pulled out his wand. Mina's eyes were completely eclipsed with fear and he muttered quietly, "Don't worry. I'm just going to cast a Diagnostic Charm to check on your healing. It won't hurt." Mina gave him a stiff nod and he quietly cast the spell, running his wand up and down her body, keeping one eye on her expression at all times so he knew when he was pushing her too far. Surprisingly, once she realized that the spell truly didn't hurt at all, she seemed to relax and looked relatively content to let him continue the spell until he was done. Nevertheless, he kept one wary eye on her at all times.

The quill next to him didn't write down nearly as much this time and Severus assumed the huge magical core her various abilities gave her had quickly healed her.

When he looked at the sheet, he gasped aloud and realized he was sorely mistaken.

Most of her Alterations were gone. Quite simply gone.

Severus didn't understand. He pulled out the other Diagnostic Sheet, which was sitting beneath his book, and looked at it. The long list of Alterations was on the older one, but not on the new. What had happened? How had her list of nine Alterations suddenly gone down to three? He looked at Mina herself quizzically, his brow contorted in confusion. She held out her hand tentatively for the sheets, which he gave her, and looked over the older one first, her jaw stiffening as she looked at the list of various injuries and ailments. Then she looked at the new sheet and instantly, one corner of her mouth broke into a wry smile. She looked back down at the spot in front of the side table and the smile widened just a little. Then she handed the sheets back to him.

Deciding to ask her about it once he had checked the rest of her injuries, Severus finished reading through the rest of the Diagnostic. He summoned a few more potions for her to take and handed each one to her individually, explaining to her what each of them was (Pain Potion…SkeleGrow…Bezoar Extract, it counteracts poisons…) and letting her sniff cautiously at the vials before drinking. When she smelled the SkeleGrow, she looked sincerely opposed to drinking it, but when she looked up at him, her brow furrowed a little and her head cocked to the side slightly. Then, much to Severus' surprise and delight, she turned back to the vial, threw back her head and drank it. Also much to Severus' surprise, she didn't spit it all out, but rather simply grimaced at the taste.

_She trusts me? _he thought. _Why does she trust me? What did I do to earn her trust? _

_Well, you did save her life, _another part of him pointed out. _And you haven't left her side since she got here. _

_It was only two nights ago, _Voice 1 countered. _And besides, what else could I do, leave her there to die? _

_She assumes so, and you know it, _Voice 2 said. _What other reason would she have for trusting you? It's not like she knows about the relationship you had with Lily or your spying duties for the Order. _

Severus shook his head to clear it. Obviously, he hadn't been getting enough good sleep. He decided that he would formally introduce Mina to Poppy, Minerva, and Albus today and, once she seemed comfortable around them, leave for an hour or so to shower and eat. He would sleep in the Hospital Wing however, although perhaps he would claim one of the beds from now on. He had a nasty crick in his neck from sleeping with his head on his chest for so long.

Once Mina had finished drinking all the potions, he sent the vials back to his lab for washing and future use and put away his wand, knowing she was always more comfortable when he didn't look like he was about to hex her, which apparently, he always did.

"Mina," he said. Her gaze, which had wandered out one of the windows, snapped back to him. "Do you know what those Alterations on the Diagnostic Sheet are…were?" She nodded. "What happened to them?"

Mina shifted a little in the bed, running her tongue over her dry lips. She looked as though she wanted to tell him, but didn't feel particularly like speaking.

"If you'd rather just show me, I can pull the memory out and give it back to you once I've viewed it," he suggested. She instantly brightened and nodded enthusiastically. He smirked a little and pulled out his wand again. "Now, this might feel a little odd, but don't worry. Just bring the memory to the fore front of your mind and concentrate on it." She nodded and he pressed the tip of his wand to her temple. Slowly, he began to pull away. A misty silver thread was attached to his wand and as he pulled, he realized it was much longer than he had anticipated. Just how long was this memory? Was it something that had happened over time? Or was she showing him more than just what had happened to all those Alterations?

_No, you idiot, _said Voice 1. _She doesn't trust you that much yet. _

Annoyed, he cast the voices from his mind once more and concentrated on the memory attached to his wand. Eventually, the long mist finally separated from Mina's head and she sighed, blinking a few times. He pulled out one of the many glass vials he kept in his pocket (old Potion Master's habit) and siphoned the memory off into it. He didn't both capping it, deciding he'd just view the memories next to her and summon the pensieve to him, rather than go all the way up to the headmaster's office to view them. He didn't think he was quite ready to see Dumbledore again just yet. He wanted to know as many of the facts as he could get before he saw anyone else again.

Another flick of his wand and the pensieve came soaring into the hospital wing in its half-form, not its full stone basin form. Severus was grateful for that; he liked it in its half-form better. The simple metal ring seemed much more efficient and it looked better too.

He pulled out the vial and poured the memories into the pensieve; then, with one final glance at Mina, who nodded, he fell forward into the memories.

_Severus found himself standing in a field of brightly-colored flowers. In front of him stood Mina, healthy and eleven years old, though she was still frightfully small. A sparrow was sitting on her shoulder and he abruptly realized that the sparrow must be her animus because she seemed as though she was used to him being there and he knew she didn't have a familiar. He would have noticed that by now; the familiar would have found her. But Severus found himself confused; when Mina had shown him what she saw earlier, her animus had been a fawn, not a sparrow. He remembered that some people's animi could change. Was Mina's one of them. _

_Abruptly, he became aware that the animus' name was Hugo and he often changed his form. Figuring this must be part of Mina's memories, he accepted it. He also became aware that he could see his own doe anima. He looked at her and she looked at him. A look of mutual surprise passed between them, but then they both refocused their attention on Mina and Hugo respectively. _

_As he watched, Mina strode forward in the field and plucked one of the flowers. Severus instantly recognized it as a lily and felt a pang in his chest. The fact that she had picked that flower…_

_Hugo took off from her shoulder and began to fly low across the field, his wings skimming the tops of the flowers. Mina looked up at him and Severus strode forward to stand slightly and front of her and to her side so he could get a better look at her. She was smiling as she watched the young sparrow fly about the sparrow. He could sense her confusion and relief and realized that she must be used to nightmares by now. Clearly, a dream about fields of flowers, as feminine and (in Severus' opinion) pathetic as it was, was a relief for Mina. _

_But what did this have to do with her Alterations? _

_In front of him, Mina stiffened and her gaze flickered to the edge of the field. Severus turned and saw what she was looking at. His heart skipped a beat and for a moment, Severus couldn't breathe. _

_Striding down the field was Lily, hand-in-hand with Potter. _

_Once Severus had regained control of himself, he noticed that Potter had a stag for an animus (odd) and that Lily had a doe for an anima (also odd) and realized that she must have been attracted to him because both their animi were the same gender as them. He wondered if she would have been his partner if she had had an animus or if Potter had had an anima. But it was too late to speculate about such things and he instead listened intently to the conversation Lily, Mina, and Potter had, grimacing every time Potter spoke and wincing every time Lily spoke, both voices painful reminders of memories he'd rather not recall. Mina's voice was similar to Lily's, but softer and more delicate. He realized that even in her dream, she wasn't willing to talk. Curious. _

_He listened carefully with both ears as Lily and Potter explained that Mina's abilities had simply been given to her to boost her magical core and get her through the painful days with the Death Eaters, which she apparently needed to survive for some ultimate purpose. He wondered what that purpose was, but didn't linger on it too long, returning once again to what Lily and Potter were saying about how she had to pick one ability to hold on to. For a long time, Mina sat there silently and Severus found himself surprised with how patient Potter was being. Clearly, death had changed him. He smirked a little at the thought. _

_At the same time, he was aware of what Mina was thinking. She was going through the pros and cons of each ability and he realized that she was rather efficient in her decision. He didn't know many other eleven-year-olds who would do what she was doing. Then again, he didn't know _**any** _other eleven-year-olds who had been through what she had. He also realized that she desperately wanted to be accepted by her peers once she started at school. He hoped he could get her to open up by the time she started at Hogwarts; most of the other students wouldn't start up a relationship with a girl who refused to talk. _

_By the time she had decided on retaining her abilities as an Animi Speaker, Severus found himself whole-heartedly agreeing with her. If Hugo had been the only constant in her life that wasn't painful, he wasn't surprised that she had chosen to keep up contact with him. And, he realized, he would have done the same thing. _

_Mina told her decision to her mother and Potter and they smiled at her, congratulating her on her choice. Severus felt his heart clench as he saw Lily smile. Regaining control over his emotions once again, he listened as Lily told her daughter about how Mina had come into existence (thankfully without too much detail) and how Lily had birthed another child, a son, Harry Potter. They explained how even though Harry was famous, few people knew her name because she had disappeared a month before Voldemort found them. They explained how Greyback had pleaded for his daughter's life because he planned on making her like him. Severus' hand clenched around his wand and he grimaced at the thought of Mina, so similar to Lily, ever becoming anything like Greyback. Mina was apparently also upset with this revelation, as was Hugo; she growled and Hugo leapt off her shoulder to transform into a snarling wolverine. Even Severus was slightly frightened of the intensity in the animus' eyes and he leaned back a little, having taken a sat on the ground when they did. Eventually, Mina and Hugo calmed themselves and Hugo turned into a crab, still looking rather upset. Mina, however, was quite good at hiding her emotions, he noticed. _

_He continued to listen as Lily and Potter explained what happened in Godric's Hollow (with some points Severus hadn't already known and, in some cases, would have preferred not to hear) and how most wizarding children were sent to Hogwarts. They explained wands choosing wizards (though apparenty even dead souls had no idea why wands chose wizards) and most of the rest of the wizarding world. _

At least I won't have to, _thought Severus. _I'd be horrible at something like that.

_He stiffened as he heard his name and realized that Lily was talking about him. _Him. _Their childhood together. He listened as she told Mina about Severus' own rough childhood (breaking the tension somewhat by pointing out that he hadn't been Cruciated till he was seventeen, at which point Severus flinched, not wanting to recall that particular memory) and smiled when she pointed out that Potter had never helped him in his childhood. He chuckled when he saw color rush to Potter's cheeks and was shocked when Mina glared fiercely at Potter. Even he flinched. He also noticed that Mina wasn't doing it simply to impress her mother; Hugo changed into a mongoose and hissed at Potter's stag, making Severus chuckle even more. A mongoose stood no chance against a stag, and yet the stag hung its huge antlers in shame. _

So, James Potter finally came to see that he was an arrogant prat in school, _thought Severus. _About time.

_Lily explained Potter's bullying of Severus in quite objective terms, which he supposed made sense given the fact that she cared about both men. She explained how Severus had become a spy (so dead souls really were more knowledgeable than their living selves; Severus had never told her that) and why he had done so (which mildly frightened Severus). He felt the blood drain from his face as she explained that he still felt guilty and a single tear streamed down his left cheek as Lily told Mina that she could trust Severus because he truly cared for her and would always help her. _

_When Lily and Potter's forms began to flicker, Severus felt the need to surge forward and hug Lily, kiss her hand, kiss her lips, something, anything. But he knew that it was futile. He wasn't really here; it was Mina's memory. There was nothing he could do. So, he stood back and watched as Lily and Potter bid Mina farewell and walked off and disappeared. As he looked back at Mina, he realized that she still hadn't let go of the lily in her hand and that Hugo had changed into something else as Lily and Potter had left. _

_He had become a vulture. A mourning vulture. _

_Abruptly, the scene changed…_

…_into a dark stone room. Severus recognized it as the room he had rescued Mina from. Before him a much younger version of Mina sat on the floor, her knees brought up to her chest. In fact, she didn't look much older than two or three, and yet she already had a look of great intelligence about her. She seemed very cognizant of the world around her and the danger she was in, and not just in a terrified-baby sense but in the same way he felt any other full-grown witch or wizard would have felt after being kidnapped by Death Eaters. _

_Next to Mina sat Hugo in the form of a trembling hedgehog. She cast glances at him every once and a while, but mostly sat taking in her surroundings, wondering what was going to happen to her. _

_Behind him, a door opened and Severus turned around to see several men in dark robes and masks walk in. Mina curled up even tighter and looked as though she wished they would disappear. Beside her Hugo curled up into a ball. _

"_Do you know why you are here?" said the leader, who he recognized as Lucius Malfoy due to the blonde hair escaping from behind his mask. It seemed fitting that he had an albino peahen for an anima. _

"_No," she said, still curled. _

"_Well, allow me to explain." Severus braced himself for what he knew was coming next as Lucius raised his wand. Mina cowered. Beside her, Hugo shifted into a spoonbill, the better to fight the peahen striding toward him, somehow managing to look quite aristocratic and pompous about it. Severus heard the muttered curse and winced at Mina's screams. He had heard those screams before, when she had been having nightmares, the first nightmare. So she'd dreamed about this before. He wondered how often this came up. _

"_You are here because you are a threat," Lucius told her. Behind him, the other Death Eaters were smirking at Mina's trembling form. "You are a threat that needs to be kept in check. That is something we can do quite easily here. Know that you will never leave this place ever again." _

_A single tear dripped down Mina's cheek and Severus' vision clouded as he felt his own eyes pool with tears. She reminded him so much of Lily, and as her screams and pleas filled the air once more, two tears, one from each eye, streaked down his cheeks. _

_Eventually, Lucius lowered his wand. "Welcome, Mina. This is your new home." _

_She looked up at him and shot him a death glare. "Like hell this is my new home. Let me go." _

She was cursing at the age of what now? _thought Severus. _And, damn is she daring. I don't know anyone who's ever stood up to them like that after being Cruciated twice.

"_Now, now, no need to be rude," said Lucius. "It's rather kind of us to offer you a home, don't you think?" _

"_Yeah, you ought to thank us." Severus recognized the voice as Mulciber's. _

"_Yes, and since you haven't…you ought to be punished," Lucius agreed. He raised his wand again. _

_Much to Severus' relief, the memory transitioned from there. He pretty much knew what was coming, and assumed they wouldn't be too keen on breaking her just yet, so they would only stick with the Cruciatus Curse. _

_Again, the same room materialized. Now, Mina lay on her stomach on the floor. Lucius was already on her back and he had a blade pressed to her neck, where he realized there were already several scars. He leaned forward and whispered lustfully, "Happy ninth birthday, Mina." _

_Severus shivered. He knew _**exactly**_ where this was going. Lucius had always been twisted and perverted, the first one to begin raping any female the Death Eaters kidnapped despite the fact he was 'happily' married. He suspected Narcissa didn't know of her husband's philandering tendencies; she would have divorced him in a heartbeat. _

_Mina was dragged to her feet. Her hands were tied behind her back and a loop was secured to each of her feet. She was shoved against the wall and Lucius pressed himself against her. She began to struggle energetically (or as energetically as she could in such an injured state) when he kissed her. He leaned back slightly. "Come now," he said quietly. "I can't be _that _bad a kisser, can I?" He leaned forward again and this time the other Death Eaters laughed. _

_Suddenly, he pulled back forcefully and slammed his fist into Mina's nose, apparently not for the first time. Clearly, she had bitten him. He always reacted like that when girls bit him. He leaned in again and whispered threateningly, "Do that again and we'll be here a lot longer." He pressed against her again and waved his wand. Her clothes disappeared. Severus did his best to look only at Lucius' back and Mina's face, but he did sometimes catch a few indecent glimpses of her naked self. He hoped that she had deliberately given him this memory; it would make him feel better about seeing…her. _

_Lucius leaned back and ordered her onto her knees. She hesitated and instantly the Death Eaters in control of the ropes around her ankles pulled and she fell forward onto Lucius. "Eager now, are we?" he said. The Death Eaters roared with laughter. He undid the zipper on his trousers and pulled them down. He leaned forward to her, bumping her cheek with his member. "Open up," he whispered. She didn't, and, as Severus had learned was apparently an effective tactic, Lucius pinched her nose. She held her breath for a long time and struggled against his hand, but he had a tight hold on her broken nose and eventually she was forced to open her mouth. He shoved into her and yet another tear ran down Severus' cheek. "You know, boys, this isn't half bad, even though she's being so stubborn," Lucius said. The Death Eaters laughed even harder and tears streaked down Mina's face. _

_She looked to her left and Severus followed her gaze. Hugo had been smart enough to shift into an animal much too large for the peahen to do anything of the sort to him, a bear, but all the other animi had joined in to assault him. They might not be raping the bear, but they could still do quite a bit of heavy damage. _

_Eventually, Lucius pulled out of Mina's mouth and she spat. She ended up heaving, but she was clearly starved, not only because Severus could see her bones, but also because she threw up nothing. Lucius waited until she was done and if it had been anyone else, Severus might have thought he was being polite. But since it was Lucius, he figured he was probably smirking beneath that mask of his. The Death Eaters laughed at her, taunting her for her supposed weakness, calling her horrible names as she coughed and sputtered all over the floor. _

_When she was finally done, Lucius threw her to the floor again. He settled on top of her and the other Death Eaters pulled at the ropes attached to her legs, pulling them wide. The tears streaming down her face turned into wracking sobs. "Please," she cried. "Please, anything but this. Anything." Severus recognized this as the second nightmare he had witnessed her having and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He knew it would do no good to walk over and attempt to pull Lucius off Mina, so he hung back and watched as he responded and she pleaded with him one final time before he forced himself inside her. The Death Eaters laughed and laughed and laughed and when Severus looked, Hugo had fallen to the myriad of beast attacking him, who were now proceeding to bite and nip him on every visible part of his body. _

The memories swirled one final time and left Severus with nothing before him, so he pulled his head out of the pensieve. He looked over at Mina and realized that tears still stained his cheeks. "Did you mean to show me all that?" he asked. She gave him a small weak smile and nodded, then turned toward something else.

Not something else. Some_one. _

Severus followed her gaze and realized he was staring into the eyes of Poppy Pomfrey, Minerva McGonagall, and Albus Dumbledore.

None of them looked happy.

**A/N: So…any suggestions? I've read several versions of Albus Dumbledore; do you think he should be a blind meddler, a twisted old man trying to achieve his own ends, or a benevolent guide? Also, I could use some ideas for some things that should happen (or should have happened, I suppose) to Mina. As you can probably tell, I'm running out of ideas, although I figure she probably would want to show Snape these two first since he saved her from them and all that. So anyway, review please! I'd like to hear your thoughts, even if you hated it! **


	8. Chapter 8 - Tests

**A/N: Sorry about the longer lapse between posts; I had a long week with schoolwork and bad days. Anyway, enjoy! Disclaimer: I own nothing, for I am not the amazing genius that J.K. Rowling is. **

Severus sighed as he looked at all three of the adults standing before him. Poppy was standing with her hands on her hips, shooting him a reproachful look. Minerva had her arms folded across her chest, one eyebrow raised. Albus looked almost shocked. He looked back to Mina and saw that she looked somewhat apprehensive about the three people standing next to her. She was leaning towards Severus, who quietly assured her, "Don't worry, they won't hurt you." She visibly relaxed, though still kept both eyes on the trio, clearly not wanting to take her gaze off them should they suddenly turn on her. For now, however, she appeared to be content with their gazes being firmly glued on him.

"_We_ might not hurt her," said Poppy, emphasizing 'we' quite emphatically, "but what about you?"

Severus simply stared.

"What Poppy is _trying _to say," said Minerva, taking a step forward, "is…how did you get Mina's memories?"

"First off, how do you know their Mina's?" Severus countered sarcastically. Minerva raised her eyebrow again and Severus waved his hand at her dismissively. "Secondly, I got them the same way you would get memories from someone else incapable of casting such magic as of yet: asking before carefully removing them."

"And what, exactly, did you see that would bring you to tears?" Dumbledore asked quietly, "And why did she show you first? You've only been with her for a few days."

"Firstly, she showed me first because she trusts me as I have been with her the most over these past few days, calming her after nightmares and feeding her," Severus responded. As he spoke of food, his stomach protested to the certain lack thereof in his stomach. He turned to Mina. "Are you hungry?" he asked. She nodded, still looking at the trio. Severus began to wonder if she was somehow entranced with their animi or something; she had been staring at them for quite a while. He sighed, deciding not to ask her, and flicked his wand, summoning two trays of food. "Do any of you need food?" All three shook their heads and he stowed his wand. He deftly caught both of the trays that came flying into the room and he handed one to Mina who reluctantly tore her gaze from the three other adults and began to tuck into her food quite wholeheartedly, still seeming to think it was the last meal she would ever receive, savoring every bite. He summoned a few more potions for her to take and handed them to her, not commenting on her cautious sniffing of every bottle and simply tucking in to his own meal. The house elves had sent along eggs benedict, a side of hash browns, a small bowl of cereal, an apple, and a glass of orange juice for Mina. Severus received tea.

_Those house elves don't miss a thing, do they? _Severus thought. Glancing out one of the many windows, Severus realized that the sun had indeed risen, most likely while he was submerged in Mina's memories, and that it was indeed time for breakfast.

"Severus." He looked up at the headmaster at the sound of his name. "You never answered my first question."

"It is not mine to answer," he replied smoothly. "Mina will tell you when she wishes, which I suspect won't be until at least after she finishes this rather large breakfast we've been served.

"Sit, you three. You look odd just standing there." With sighs and mumbles, the three drew up chairs and settled in them, waiting for the pair to finish their meal. Poppy was surprised when she saw Mina finish the entire meal, then realized that Severus had probably fed her a Nutrient Potion, a Stomach Growth Elixir, and an Appetite Increaser. The girl desperately needed to put on some weight and regain the vital nutrients she had lost. She wondered why the girl had sniffed at every potion put in front of her, but decided not to comment on it, deeming it untactful and potentially embarrassing for Mina as well as disrespectful.

Once the pair had finished their meals in what was a more awkward silence than the last meal they had shared, Severus made to pull out his wand again and send the trays back to the kitchens but a house elf suddenly appeared, grabbed both trays and disappeared again. Mina was staring at the spot the house elf had been in with a look of pure confusion and shock on her face. Severus chuckled a little at her expression and explained, "It's a house elf. They do most the chores here at Hogwarts. Washing clothes, cleaning the dorms, that sort of thing." She nodded, looking almost relieved. Severus realized she had probably never seen a house elf before and was happy to hear they weren't out to get her.

Poppy cleared her throat and all three looked at her. "I'm going to need another Diagnostic Charm on you, Mina," she said. "After that, I'll need to run a few more tests to figure out how severe some of your psychological injuries are and such. It shouldn't take too long."

"While you're doing that, I think I'll take some time to shower," said Severus, standing. Mina looked at him, a pleading look in her eyes coupled with alarm. "Would you prefer if I stayed?" he asked. She nodded emphatically. "Then I shall stay." He sat back down and Mina visibly relaxed against the pillows. One corner of his mouth twitched upward into a smile, pleased that he was trusted before any of the others. Usually, no one wanted to get anywhere near the snarky Potions Master if Albus Dumbledore was around. He was definitely more amicable. Yet Mina had gravitated toward him, most likely because he'd been around more.

"Why does she trust you so much?" Minerva asked. "I understand you've been around her the most and comforted her when she needs it, but you aren't exactly the easiest person to trust, Severus."

"Would you care to tell them?" Severus asked, looking at Mina and gesturing toward the three other adults. She looked at them appraisingly for a moment, then turned back to Severus and shook her head. He turned back to the other three and said, "Then you'll just have to accept that she trusts me first and foremost. I'll not divulge secrets she herself won't reveal."

They sat in awkward silence for some time before Minerva stood, saying she needed to deal with a flood of mail. Albus quickly followed, saying he needed to get to the Ministry, leaving Poppy alone with Severus and Mina. She sighed.

"Well, Mina, shall we get these tests over and done with?" she asked. Slowly, Mina nodded. Severus, sensing her nervousness, reached out his hand and grasped her own. She jumped but he didn't let go. He simply gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and was content to allow their hands to remain entwined beneath the sheets. She gave him a reluctant squeeze back as Poppy pulled out her wand. "Now, there may be a slight tingling feeling throughout your body while I cast these spells, Mina, but they shouldn't hurt. If you feel any pain in any part of your body, I need you to tell me, all right?" Mina gave her a short nod. Carefully, trying not to startle the girl, Poppy moved her hand forward and reached for Mina's sheets. Slowly, she drew them back, and Mina clutched Severus' hand all the more tightly. He gave her another reassuring squeeze, assuring her he wasn't going anywhere. Poppy began muttering spells under her breath and Severus was relieved to see that Mina eventually began to relax.

When the Healer raised her wand to Mina's temple, however, she leaned away and raised her other hand defensively.

"They're just some basic Diagnostic Spells designed to see how severe your psychological scarring is, dear," Poppy assured her. But Mina refused to lower her hand and Severus knew why. But how had Mina known?

"Mina, you really don't want anyone seeing your memories, do you?" he asked quietly. She shook her hand frantically and he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "Look at me." She did. "Would you prefer if I cast the spell? Because unfortunately, this is something we have to do." Mina still looked tense. She shot glances back and forth between Poppy and Severus. Once or twice, he thought he caught her shooting glances at the ground near her bedside table. Then, finally, cautiously, she gave him one short nod.

Still holding her right hand with his left hand, he pulled out his wand and gently raised it to Mina's temple. She sighed and closed her eyes and as his wand touched her temple, the spell activated, he was flooded with her emotions and memories.

The spell, a Mental Illness Diagnostic Charm, told the caster the extent of a patient's mental illness by showing the caster the patient's strongest feelings and the images associated with those feelings. Primarily, he felt Mina's fear, and she feared a great deal of things. She feared Albus, Minerva, and Poppy turning against her with their wands and hurting her in some way. He saw her imagined images of them doing this, then images of the Death Eaters casting various hexes and curses, including the Cruciatus, Cutting Curses, and Nerve Frying Curses. She feared being found naked by someone; she'd had bad experiences being naked in someone else's presence, too many bad experiences. He saw those memories and quickly advanced through them, grateful that the spell did not bring the memories to the forefront of the patient's mind like Legilimency, for he guessed that Mina did not want to relive any of this. Unfortunately, Mina also had a fear of various household objects, such as canes, kitchen knives, rope, wooden beams, among other things. That would be something they would need to fix the quickest so she could walk about in someone's home without having a panic attack and/or a flashback, which was the last thing they wanted.

But the thing that Mina clearly feared the most was her own memories. She did not want to remember anything. She spent most of her time focusing on the few good memories she had, namely eating with Severus, seeing her parents, and being rescued. Severus was pleased that a more personal scene with just him and Mina had made her top three favorite moments.

_Not that she has much to go from_, thought the annoying voice in his head. He quickly shoved it away, knowing he needed to concentrate on what he was doing before he cause dmina some serious pain.

Refocusing, Severus moved through various parts of Mina's brain and delved into not only what she feared most, but also what she hated most (which, oddly enough, included Brussels sprouts as the top of the list), what she loved the most, and what she wanted the most. All were important for her healing so they could be sure to provide her with the things she wanted and missed from her decent early memories and avoid the things she feared and hated most unless, of course, in psychological conversations.

Eventually, Severus finally pulled out of Mina's mind and found that, for the second time in a single day, he had tear tracks running down his cheeks. Slowly, Mina reached forward and swiped them away with her thumb and gave him a look that said, _It's all right. You couldn't have done anything. I appreciate what you're doing now. _

_Severus, she's just saying that because she doesn't know any better, _the annoying voice interjected. _Once she gets to know Minerva and Albus and starts seeing them as the most helpful witch and wizard of the age, she'll abandon you for them and go to them for everything. You know that. _

Ignoring the voice as best he could, Severus gave Mina a weak smile and turned to Poppy. "Are those the last of your tests?" he asked. The Healer nodded.

"Do you want to tell me the results of that test or would you rather simply serve as the girl's psychologist?" she asked. Neither of the adults missed Mina's small flinch at the phrase 'the girl's' and Severus filed the fact away for later thought.

"I will serve as her psychologist, Poppy," he said. He turned back to Mina. "Do you mind if I leave for half an hour to shower?" he asked. Reluctantly, she shook her hand and pulled her fingers out of his, gently shooing him along. With one corner of his lips tilted up, Severus stood and gave Minerva a short nod before striding out of the hospital wing with a flourish of black robes. He decided to simply bathe in his quarters and began to make his way to the dungeons, but not before he heard Poppy say:

"Now, I'm going to be working on some paperwork in my office, Mina. Don't hesitate to call if you need anything."

Knowing Mina wouldn't call anyone for anything, he cast a silent Monitoring Charm on Mina. If she needed anything, he wanted to know about it.

He continued walking down to his quarters and muttered the password after passing a snake-shaped brazier. It had been the site of the Slytherin Head of House's quarters since the founding of Hogwarts, though each had changed the place to suit them. Severus' quarters were simple and contained only the most basic furniture to keep himself comfortable (which was really only one armchair and a fireplace) and to keep guests comfortable should he ever need to entertain them (which consisted of a sofa and two extra chairs to keep Minerva and Albus happy). However, the extra furniture was only necessary in the sitting room and kitchenette. The rest of his quarters were private to him and no one was _ever _allowed down the hallway leading off the sitting room, so he had no need to provide extra furniture for guests or to keep Minerva and Albus satisfied. He did keep a guest bedroom on hand in case Draco ever needed to stay with him during the school year; as the boy's godfather, he felt an obligation to steer Draco as far away from the Dark Arts as possible. He and Draco's mother had long since been in an alliance to keep Draco away from the Dark Lord, as Narcissa had never wanted to marry Lucius (it had been an arranged marriage, of course) and she still had no feelings for him even after thirteen years of having been married to him and having his son two years after marriage. Severus knew this was mostly due to the fact that Lucius was hardly ever around and when he was, he was a pompous prat, and a demanding one at that, who lost his temper when he didn't get his way and often reacted with his palms or fists. He had often been the facilitator of substantial amounts of Bruise Balm and Pain Potions to Narcissa.

So, in case either Narcissa or Draco ever needed to stay with him during the school year, he kept a spare bedroom on hand. But it was the only room he kept in tip-top shape for a possible outcome (although the outcome was becoming more and more plausible as the years went by); every other room was immaculate because he used it often enough for it to be necessary.

He strode into his bedroom, a simple affair with dark stone walls and no pictures adorning the walls. A bookshelf lined the left wall and a desk sat a little off to the side near the bookshelf on the near wall. Centered against the far wall was a four-poster bed decorated in dark green and a pale grey. Against the right wall was a dark, wooden dresser. A comfortable armchair sat in the near right corner of the room where Severus could read and watch the rest of the room comfortably, especially the door. Too many years as a spy had taught him that he could never be too careful.

Severus stripped and tossed his clothes into a magical laundry basket whereupon the clothes vanished and headed off to the house elves for washing. Then he strode across the hall into his bathroom and turned on the shower.

As he scrubbed himself clean and, contrary to popular belief, washed his hair, Severus was content to discover through the Monitoring Charm that Mina had fallen asleep. He was a little apprehensive that she hadn't had a Dreamless Sleep Potion before she fell asleep, but he knew the potion could prove addictive and that she needed to be able to fight her proverbial demons on her own, not resort to a potion every night so she could hide.

He showered as quickly as he could, then toweled off and changed into a set of robes identical to the ones he had been wearing previously. Casting a Drying Charm on his hair, he strode out of his bedroom and back up to the hospital wing. Strangely, he felt a sense of apprehension as he approached the hospital wing and the sixth sense that had kept him alive as a spy told him that he needed to be careful. Keeping one hand on his wand, though not sure what dangerous person or creature could possibly have entered Hogwarts, Severus peered into the hospital wing. Instantly, he rounded the corner and drew his wand.

Dumbledore had his wand raised against sleeping Mina's temple. And he looked too purposeful for his own good.

**A/N: So, I figure it might be obvious, but what do you all think Dumbledore is doing? I'd really like to hear it; it'll let me know someone is actually reading, rather than just seeing the fact that I have so many views. Thanks to all of you who have stuck with me. Review please!**


	9. Chapter 9 - Progress

**A/N: Short chapter. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. **

Severus opened his mouth to stop Dumbledore, but it was too late. The old codger had already muttered, "Legilimens." Mina's eyes flew wide open, her pupils dilated in fear. Dumbledore flinched, but kept the tip of his wand in contact with Mina's forehead. The girl started thrashing about, obviously not seeing the world around her. Still, Dumbledore kept contact. Without really thinking, Severus drew his wand and pointed it at Dumbledore. A Disarming Spell flew through his mind and Dumbledore's wand went flying across the room, clattering to the floor. Mina sat up and brought her knees to her chest, resting her forehead on them and using her hands to protect her neck. She began rocking back her forth, her entire body quivering.

A low growl sounded in the back of Severus' throat. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" The question was barely audible.

"I want to help her, Severus," Albus responded in a low voice. "But I can't do that unless I know what happened?"

"So you decided you'd mind-rape her to find out?" Sparks flew out the end of Severus' wand, several landing in Albus' overlong beard, and he closed his eyes, listing the top ten most poisonous potions ingredients backwards in order to calm himself. Then he counted down from one hundred in Latin. Eventually, he was calm enough to interact with people once more and he opened his eyes. Doing his best to ignore Dumbledore's presence, Severus stowed his wand, cautiously approached Mina's bed, and conjured a chair.

"Mina?" he said softly. She had stopped rocking and trembling now, but her head was still on her knees and her hands were still protecting her neck. Severus lightly laid a hand on her back and she jumped as though she'd been burned. He snapped his hand back and raised both, showing his empty hands as her head snapped up to look at him. "It's just me," he said quietly. "I'm not going to hurt you. I promise."

Mina frowned and leaned back when Severus tried to touch her again. She glanced to the bedside table where she saw a fawn cowering against the bed, a doe standing in front of him with her legs splayed wide, and a phoenix hovering nearby, seemingly curious about the fawn behind its protective mother. Turning away, her arms wrapped around her legs and her eyes barely topped her knees as she cowered from the Potions Master. He frowned in confusion, then realized she must have thought it was him that had invaded her mind. But he was wrong. She was simply distraught at having her mind invaded by the same phoenix that had tried to help her not so long ago as the Death Eaters had done for so long.

At that moment, Albus decided to retrieve his wand. He stood, his chair squeaking as the legs rubbed against the floor, and Mina flew back against the pillows. Dumbledore seemed not to notice Mina's change in position and continued to pick his wand up from the floor. Mina's breath started to come in pants when he picked it up and turned back round. Severus growled and pulled out his own wand. Mina threw her arms around her knees and buried her face between her chest and legs as though she thought if she couldn't see anyone else, they couldn't see her or hurt her. Severus gave her a sad look, but his face hardened when he turned back to Dumbledore.

"Albus, put your wand away now and get out," he said in as neutral a voice he could muster. "You're scaring her into a panic attack."

"What?" It seemed Albus only then noticed Mina's completely terrified state. "How-?"

"It doesn't matter, you old fool," Snape said. "The damage is done. Now get out so I can see if I can repair it."

Albus opened his mouth to protest, but then realized he should listen to Severus. The Potions Master had always dealt with the cases of abuse at Hogwarts and the Headmaster knew that shouldn't change now. He had wanted to help Mina, but it seemed all he had done was push her backward.

One of his many mistakes.

With a small nod to Severus, Dumbledore stowed his wand and strode out of the Hospital Wing.

Snape sighed and replaced his wand. Somehow, he had to convince Mina he hadn't been the one to invade her mind and regain her trust again. How he was going to do it, he had no idea. The old codger clearly had no idea how much of a setback this truly was. He'd have to shout some sense into him later.

Quietly, so as not to startle her again, Severus settled back in his chair, crossing his legs and folding his hands in his lap. "Mina," he said quietly. She looked up at him from under her arm with wide eyes. Severus couldn't help but smile a little at the sight – she reminded him of a mouse. He tried to make the smile comforting. If it was too much like a smirk, Mina might think he was going to hurt her. It appeared his attempt had been successful – Mina withdrew her head and placed her cheek on her knees, looking at him sideways. He smiled even wider. Now she looked like an owl.

Mina was looking at him quizzically, so Severus cleared his throat, uncrossed his legs, and leaned forward slightly. "I am…sorry…about what just happened. I should have stayed to make sure the Headmaster attempted no such meddling. But trust me when I say, I would never invade your mind like that." Mina's eyes turned dark and she nodded emphatically before looking back at the bedside table pointedly. He looked past her, expecting to see something but merely seeing the bedside table and the floor of the Hospital Wing. Then he remembered when Mina had shown him the animi and how his doe and her fawn had been together against the bedside table. When she turned back to look at him, he gave her an understanding smile and she gave a small twitch of her lips in return.

_That's twice, I believe_, he thought. _I believe that's twice I've gotten this girl to smile. _

It was progress. Small. But progress.


End file.
